The Twice and Future Princess
by Velosaurus
Summary: Lucina did everything she ever did so that her younger self could live a life of peace. A better life than she could have lived herself. With Grima defeated, little Lucina can finally grow up safe and happy. In all that time however, her older self never asked a simple question. If Lucina lived an entirely different life, wouldn't she be an entirely different person?
1. Years Gone By

Deep within the royal palace of Ylisstol, a soldier clad in blue and gold plate armor forced a middle aged woman into the throne room. This throne room was far more extravagant than it had ever been under Chrom or Emmeryn. Golden statues of figures from Ylissean history adorned the room. Blue and gold banners depicting the Mark of Naga hung down from the walls. At the end of the room was an absolutely massive throne, its frame covered in gold and its padding elaborately colored.

Seated on the throne was a young woman wearing an elaborate combination of robes and armor. Her robes were very similar to those Emmeryn had worn years earlier, but they were colored gold and blue. Unlike Emmeryn, her robes were also covered by plates of armor along her shoulders, legs, arms, and chest. The young woman also had a flowing, golden cape, with deep blue symbols of the monarchy woven into it. The only part of the woman's body that wasn't draped in a display of opulence was her head. She only wore a relatively simple tiara, identical to the one the other woman would have been wearing had the guard not taken it from her. Finally, the holy weapon of Ylisse, Falchion, was sheathed at the woman's side.

She sat up in her throne as her soldier dragged the middle aged woman in front of her. The woman slowly rose to her feet, and the two locked eyes. The Mark of Naga was on the left eye of both women, and they saw it in each other's face as they spoke. If it weren't for their age differences, it would have been like looking into a mirror for both of them. "If it isn't my... 'older sister'."

"We captured her as soon as she stepped foot inside the palace, just as you instructed, Empress." The man said proudly.

"You've done your country well, soldier. Release her now. I will speak to her."

The man shoved the elder woman, almost knocking her to the ground. She brushed herself off and started to walk towards the throne, though guards closer to the Empress readied their weapons when she got too close. The older woman had long navy blue hair like the Empress, but it was fading, as gray as it was blue. Her face had once been identical to the younger woman's, but wrinkles had become set in her expression. Both women looked very similar to each other, and they both looked very similar to the iconic image of the Future Witness when she had fought alongside the Shepherds against the Fell Dragon, and yet compared to her both women looked off. The older woman stood apart from the hero of time due to her age, and the younger one because she allowed her face to be twisted with expressions of rage that her counterpart had never worn in her youth. The older woman wore dark blue clothing with only a few pieces of armor, an outfit far more reminiscent of her own youth than the decadent attire of her younger self. She stood up straight. "Well 'Empress', is it everything you ever wanted? Have you brought peace to your new empire? Are you proud of what you've done?"

"Don't tell me you came back just to lecture me." The Empress rested her cheek on her arm and sank into her throne. "I warned you. I told you what would happen if you came back."

"Everything is falling apart! You've destroyed the peace we've worked decades for. War with Plegia and Ferox! Valmese ships probing our shores! You're steering Ylisse into a world war, and do you even know why?! You allow the nobles and your advisors to use you like a puppet! You've allowed them to seduce you with promises they don't know how to keep. They get close to you and whisper in your ears words that smell of honey but savor as venom."

"What do you know about ruling?! You were nothing but a brute. You solved problems by swinging your sword at them. You didn't lead. You weren't responsible for people's lives. My life can't be easy like yours."

"EASY?!"

"Yes! Easy! I'm responsible for the lives of thousands of people. I have to lead an entire country! In the people's eyes, you're a hero. The great hero of time! The crusader of Naga! Champion of humanity! You can do no wrong! You have no idea what kind of responsibilities I have! Whenever anything goes wrong, people always blame the Exalt. Every problem that Ylisse faces, I have to deal with it. I take the blame! No one looks up to me for keeping this country together, but everyone looks up to you just for fighting. Just because you were a mindless brute that could do nothing but kill. Who are you to talk down to my decisions as Exalt?!"

The older woman was shaking with frustration at this point. She took several seconds to calm herself, and even then she couldn't keep her voice from quaking with anger. "Easy?! Y-You think my life was easy?! If you could see the things I've seen, if you knew what I had to go through!" As she spoke, the anger in her voice was gradually replaced with sadness. "But everything I did, _everything_ I did, was for you. I wanted to give you a better future. No matter how horrible, how soul-crushingly terrible things became, I kept going because I knew that if I gave up, if I couldn't save the world, then you would suffer like I did. I promised myself that I would give you the life I couldn't have. I promised myself that you would grow up with your mother and father, and with your aunts and cousins. You would have a normal life. A peaceful life. You'd never have to pick up a sword if you didn't want to. I devoted my life to giving you everything that I couldn't have. What happened to you to turn you into this. Was it the nobles? Did they twist you into this? Was it your chief advisor? Naga forbid, is this what I would have become if I didn't have the fight against Grima to devote my life to?"

"Oh yes, go on more about your past. I never get tired of hearing about that. Tell me more about how you fought Grima and travelled through time and fought alongside Chrom because I never heard that!" Lucina rose from her throne and slowly started to walk towards her older self. "I never heard your story time and time again from father, and mother, and Robin, and Aunt Lissa, and all the nobles. No they never went on and on about it! 'Why can't you be more like the other Lucina?' 'The other Lucina wouldn't have done that.' 'The other Lucina would have done this.' No I never heard that!" The Empress said bitterly. "I grew up in your shadow my whole life! My whole damn life! Always they were comparing me to you. Everyone, even mother and father, they just wanted me to be more like you. I never got to live my own life! You stole my childhood from me!"

"I-I stole it?! I fought to give you the childhood I never had! You had everything you could have wanted! Gods what I wouldn't have given to see mother and father again when I was growing up. When I came to this timeline, when I saw how great mother and father are, I knew I had to fight to give you a normal childhood. I knew that I had to give anything it took to make sure that you could grow up with them. To make sure that you could grow up with such wonderful parents. Gods, there's nothing I wouldn't have given once to have your childhood. You were supposed to be better than me. You were supposed to be everything I never had the chance to become. Why, gods why did you grow into such a childish and petty tyrant?!"

"Well I'm sorry I didn't turn into you. I'm sorry I lived my own life. Sorry 'sis'. Sorry mother. Sorry father. I'm so sorry I wasn't exactly like the great hero of time. I'm sorry I dared to want to be my own person!"

"If father could see you now-"

"Well he can't, can he?! He can't see anyone ever again. Tell me, 'big sister', did he die a warrior's death in your timeline? He died slowly and painfully here. Tuberculosis does that to people. I guess not everything's better in this future, huh?"

"Don't talk about our father like that."

The Empress gave a smile that wasn't at all friendly. "Yes, 'our' father. Thing is, he's not really our father now, is he?" She stomped her foot on the floor. "He's MY father! He was always my father. Not yours. You're an aberration. An anomaly. Your continued existence here is a crime against nature. You should have gone back to your wretched timeline."

A tear fell down the elder Lucina's cheek. "Robin was right about you."

The Empress walked back up the steps to her throne and sat back down. She allowed her body to mold itself into the chair, providing a sharp contrast to her older self. The younger instance of the woman looked like she was part of the throne. She seemed to revel in its splendor. In the opulence of the palace. Her older counterpart seemed to want nothing to do with any of it. She looked like she held her body in such a way that she could be ready for battle at a moment's notice, even so many years after the fight against Grima. She stood determined, while her younger self held her body in a slovenly manner. She looked strong yet heroic, while her younger self had more of a regal yet domineering look. Lucina the elder was forever the hero, the soldier, the warrior, the champion. Lucina the younger had grown into a twisted inversion. She had become the politician, the monarch, the warlord, the imperator. "I don't want to hear about Robin anymore. I don't want to hear about you anymore, either. You were always perfect at everything. The perfect mother. The perfect daughter. The perfect soldier. The perfect hero. They always wanted me to be you, yet I have become a better hero than you ever could have, even as they always compared me to you. You fought to give humanity a chance for a better future, but I am actually building that future. I am actually building a better world. You walk around like you're the second coming of the Hero King, but I am actually building a new empire. I actually walk in the steps of Marth, or the First Exalt. I am actually building a better system. You fought, and killed, but you never _built_ anything. You think you saved lives. I will create a unified humanity! I will end war forever, and by doing that, I will save more lives than have ever existed!"

"Is that what you call this? A better world?"

"When I was little, I wondered if you would be Exalt. Everyone thought so highly of you. If you wanted to be Exalt, how could I stop you? I was nothing compared to you. They told me though that you promised, _you promised_ , that you wouldn't take the throne. You promised not to steal my birthright, yet ever since I inherited the throne you've only ever looked down on my decisions. You're trying to rule through me!"

"I'm not trying to control you! I'm only trying to help!"

"I don't need your help. You may have been a great hero once, but now you're just an aging woman leeching off of her family. You should have died years ago fighting Grima. You would have gone down a hero then."

The older Lucina finally realized that there was no reasoning with her younger self. Everything she said just brought more pain and resentment from her. The time for repairing their relationship had long passed. "You know what? Part of me wishes I did die back then. If I did, I'd have died thinking I'd given you a better future. I wouldn't have seen you grow into such a mad woman. You're very much a leader. You're a lot like Gangrel, or Walhart, or our grandfather, but you're nothing like the Hero King, and you're nothing like Chrom."

Lucina just smirked and sunk deeper into her throne. "This isn't your world anymore. It's mine. I am power incarnate. I am the savior of humanity. The age of heroes is at an end, for I will be the one hero this world needs. I will do what you never could do. I will bring peace."

The older Lucina gave one last solemn look to her younger self. "I remember when I held you for the first time after it was all over. After Grima was defeated. I'd held you before, but I never held you very closely. You weren't my daughter after all. It didn't feel like something I should do. After we defeated Grima though, I held you as tightly as I could. I pressed you to my chest and I didn't ever want to let go. I looked down into your eyes, and the Mark of Naga on your eye that I have. You grabbed my finger with your tiny little hand, and you had the silliest look on your face. For the first time in years, for the first time since I could remember, my stress disappeared. I felt like I'd won. I'd finally made a better future for you. I finally made a world where you could grow up safe with your family. I finally gave you the chance to live the life I never had. To see you like this now… you're breaking my heart."

The younger Lucina stared intently at her older self, but she didn't seem moved by her words. Her look was more inquisitive. She finally raised her arm. "Guards! Take Lucina 'the Elder' away. Her status as an asset to the Ylissean Empire has reached its end."

"Yes, Empress." One of the royal guards approached the older Lucina and shoved her in the shoulder with such force that she was almost knocked over. "Get a move on!"

Lucina glared at the guard, but first she pulled a small object out of her pocket and angrily tossed it towards the throne. What looked like a small coin bounced off the ground and came to a rest just below the younger Lucina. Her older self shot a glare at the Empress as she turned her head towards her. "Another piece of silver for your collection." With that the guard marched the older Lucina out of the room. Her younger self angrily looked around.

"Well?! Don't just stand there! Someone bring that to me!"

"At once, your highness." Another guard picked up the object and presented it to his Empress. She took it in her hands and examined it closely. It was actually a silver pendant. The Mark of Naga was engraved on both sides. The younger Lucina sighed and tightened her grip on it.

* * *

 **Ylisstol - 30 Years Earlier**

Lucina tightened her grip on her infant self and bounced her up and down. Her younger self giggled and reached out with her hands. Lucina held out her finger and her younger self gripped it. She smiled, and Lucina herself smiled even wider. Chrom walked over and placed his hand on Lucina's shoulder, smiling at both of his daughters. "It's been awhile since I've seen you this happy."

"It's been some time since I've been this happy. It's over. It's all over. She can finally live in peace." Lucina turned back to her infant self and nuzzled her. "Yours will be a happy future." Lucina kissed herself on the cheek and whispered into her ear. "And I'll always be there for you. Always."


	2. The Princess Errant

**PRIMUS LIBER FUTURAE TESTIS**

 **Act 1: Peace Deterrence**

* * *

"Here the truceless armies yet

Trample, rolled in blood and sweat;

They kill and kill and never die;

And I think that each is I.

None will part us, none undo

The knot that makes one flesh of two,

Sick with hatred, sick with pain,

Strangling—When shall we be slain?

When shall I be dead and rid

Of the wrong my father did?

How long, how long, till spade and hearse

Put to sleep my mother's curse?"

* * *

 **Ylisstol - Four Years After Dragonfall**

"Cordy!"

Cordelia smiled. In truth she found this word disagreeable, but the Captain of the Pegasus Knights, guardians of Ylisse and the Exalt himself, was careful to be gentle in her correction. "No. Say Cordelia. Say _Cordelia_. Can you do that for me?"

"Cordy!"

Again Cordelia attempted a correction, and again the erroneous attempt at her name was repeated. This brought her little in the way of frustration. The smile on her face grew wider with every passing moment, as the veteran knight actually found the exchange quite adorable. The subject of her attention, held tightly yet gently in her steel plated arms, was the youngest of the Exalt's four daughters. Cynthia, branded with the title of "The Younger" from the moment her mother's pregnancy became known to differentiate her from her time displaced instance, was in her third year of life now. While an observer could see the features of her older self beginning to manifest, the princess was still barely more than a frail thing, half alive as it were. As the poet would say, her parents were strong and she was weak, but one day she would be strong and they weak.

The Captain of the Pegasus Knights made one last effort to correct Cynthia's attempt at her name, but again she repeated the same two syllable response. Giving up, Cordelia nuzzled the toddler as she spoke indirectly to her mother. "Oh. She's _adorable_ , Sumia. She's three right?"

Sumia, a Pegasus Knight made Queen of Ylisse, gave a smile of her own as she watched her longtime friend playfully bounce the youngest of her daughters. "Yes. She just turned three. She's growing so fast isn't she?"

"It seems like just yesterday she was born. Severa's the same way. I swear she gets bigger every time I see her. Oh, a part of me wishes they'd stay little forever."

Sumia nodded as she looked down to her dress, an elegant blue and gold garment adorned with jewelry. As Queen she was bestowed with many such dresses, all extensive displays of splendor, and truthfully she had little connection to any of them. About the only thing notable to her about the diamond pendant she currently wore around her neck, for example, was that it gave her something to fiddle with when she was bored or deep in thought. The Queen now found herself doing just that as she thought about Cordelia's words. As a strange feeling took her. She too felt a twinge of sadness as she thought about her babies aging before her eyes, but her heart warmed when she remembered her eldest daughters—proof of what they could someday be. "Yeah, but at least we know what strong young women they'll grow into."

Cordelia set the younger Cynthia down on the ground, smiling as she watched her assume the standard squatting position of a toddler; feet wide apart with the bottom close to the ground. "It's odd, isn't it? We knew what they would be like before they were even born… although we didn't learn the truth about Lucina until her younger self was brought into the world."

Sumia's smile returned as she heard the sounds of little footsteps behind her. "Speaking of Lucina-"

"Aunt Cordelia!"

Cordelia quickly knelt down and scooped the young girl in question into her arms as she ran, almost leapt, into them. The third born of the Exalt's daughters, and yet the one destined to inherit the throne, Lucina "the Younger" was four years old now. While one may feel tempted to simply describe all small children as just that and little else, more dedicated observers could see that there were many differences between the two younger princesses. Though she had just a year over Cynthia, the younger Lucina had grown quite rapidly. A toddler no more, she could now walk, jump, skip, and sprint. Never did she crawl anymore, nor did she assume the crouching position of toddlers as her sister was currently doing. As her motor control developed, so too did her psychology, and the young girl now combined these in ways babes could not. Whereas Cynthia and the other young children of the Shepherds would cry and scream when upset, Lucina could now vent her frustrations in tantrums. She could grab and throw, and she could strike and slap. Though she was growing out of her "It's mine" phase, Lucina now had the intelligence to steal, and she could scheme to acquire things not immediately within her reach. Sumia could even recall a time she'd stolen a noblewoman's unattended necklace before blaming a hapless servant (much to said servant's chagrin when Chrom initially took her word). In terms of language, Lucina could now speak coherent sentences and possessed a vocabulary of about fifteen hundred words. She could follow two step commands (such as "Bring the ball to daddy") without fault, and more complex problems could be grasped if they weren't overly contrived. Not all of this development in language was positive, as Lucina now had the ability to lie. Sumia noted that while she wasn't very convincing with outright fabrications, she was becoming quite proficient with lies of omission, and she had a tendency to assign blame to anyone but herself when criticized. For their part Chrom and Sumia made sure to take the time to teach her right from wrong as she continued to grow and learn, but it wasn't always easy. Lucina was head strong and determined, and it wasn't easy to change her behavior once it had become a pattern.

Though she was becoming a handful, Sumia was proud of her daughter. While her current accomplishments amounted to little more than becoming a healthy young girl, Sumia was confident from the examples set by her father and older self that she would grow into a kind and just leader.

"Did you bring me a present, Aunt Cordelia?! Did you bring me a present?!"

Cordelia lifted the future sovereign above her head and playfully spun her around. Cordelia and Sumia were so close that they'd become a regular part of the lives of each other's children. The princesses grew up thinking of Cordelia as an aunt, and it helped that her Captaincy generally had her stay in Ylisstol. Cordelia in turn showered them with affection whenever she got the chance, but it was the occasional gift that Lucina would most remember. "Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm here on an assignment, but I'll make sure to bring you something as soon as I can."

"Come on, Aunt Cordelia!"

Cordelia set the princess down, only for her to step forward and cling to her leg. "I'm sorry, I don't-"

"Come aw-hah-haaaawwwwn!"

"Lucina!" Sumia shot. "Cordelia gets you those gifts to be nice. You don't get one every time."

Lucina kicked at the ground in frustration, covering Cordelia's boot in dirt. "That's not fair!"

"LUCINA!"

The princess became pacified, and she looked up to Cordelia in remorse. "I'm sorry, Aunt Cordelia."

The Captain smiled to show there was no anger on her behalf. "Hey, next time. How about that?"

"But that's not a promise, Lucina. She doesn't have to bring you anything." Sumia stated as she picked up her daughter and set her down by her sister. "Now be good or I'll send you back to the palace."

"But I want to see my big sister!"

"And you can, but only if you're good." Lucina nodded and pulled two carved figurines from her clothing to entertain herself as her mother turned back to Cordelia. "Chrom is having you meet her here then?"

Cordelia reflexively straightened her posture, as she now spoke of matters pertaining to her duty. "Yes. I actually suggested Chrom allow me to take a squad of Pegasus Knights to investigate the Southtown incident a few days ago, but milord agreed with Robin when he suggested Lucina, the one we fought beside I mean, would want to help. I think he just wants to see her again, but I certainly don't blame him."

"I miss her too. I love seeing her again." Sumia became solemn. "I don't love that she only comes when there's a problem. She's become something of a knight errant. Wandering the land. Jumping to help anyone that needs it. Cordelia… Chrom and I have seen her less than ten times in four years." Cordelia's gaze fell, and Sumia quickly spoke up again. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't meant to suggest that it's any easier for you. Wherever Severa is, I'm sure she's safe."

"I'm not sure why she'd just leave with this Anankos… but I'm sure she did it for the right reasons. All of our children were wandering heroes in a way, weren't they?" Cordelia brought her eyes back up, but she stopped midway as she noticed Lucina playing. Sumia stopped too, and the women became disturbed as they listened to exactly what Lucina was saying.

"Argh!" The little Lucina spoke in an attempt at a grown man's voice. "The future is unchangeable! I will win, because Grima says so!" "No way!" Lucina said in a different voice as she held up her other figure. "Anything can change!" Lucina proceeded to produce sound effects as she repeatedly bashed the two figures into each other, her younger sister watching with great interest as she suckled her own thumb. Lucina's imagined adventures were infinitely less interesting to the grown women than they were to her, but it wasn't hard for Sumia and Cordelia to infer what she was emulating.

"Lucina! Are you playing 'Validar vs Shepherds' again?"

Lucina tried to push the "Validar" figure away as she looked back to her mother. "Noooo?"

"Lucina."

"But bigger Cynthia told me all about your adventures!" Lucina responded as she adopted a defensive tone. "Mom, they're coooool! Dolls are more boringer."

Sumia sighed. "I don't like how violent that sounds, Lucina. Why don't you play with your sister? Cynthia looks up to you, you know?" Lucina audibly groaned, but she seemed to relent as she offered the other figurine to the younger Cynthia. "Sorry about that." Sumia said as she turned back to her old friend. Cordelia softly giggled at the exchange.

"Don't worry too much, Sumia. They're just children. She's just playing."

"Perhaps, but I don't know. I'm not sure I like how Cynthia tells those two about the Shepherds. I remember a conversation I had with her when we first encountered her. She told me she was raised on stories about the Shepherds, but some of those tales were completely ridiculous. Cynthia grew up thinking me a raging mad berserker who would strike down friend and foe alike when Chrom was in danger!"

Cordelia smiled. "Well, that certainly is a dedicated Queen."

"I just think tales like that wouldn't be a good influence on these two. Lucina plays rough as it is. Sometimes I feel like I have three daughters and a son."

"So she takes after her father. We already know what a refined young woman she'll become. I'm sure it's nothing… uh, Sumia?"

At Cordelia's gesturing, Sumia turned to see that her daughters weren't exactly getting along in a courtly manner. Lucina had briefly set down one of her small figurines to monologue to herself about the imagined exploits of the other. Cynthia, thinking very little of her sister's potential objections, then decided to explore the potentially interesting/edible object mouth first. Lucina had responded with a torrent of insults and protestations the instant she noticed, but Cynthia was quite content with where the toy was at the moment, and so Lucina had struck Cynthia to the ground before her mother could spring forward and restrain her. Cynthia did not start to howling and fussing until she was sure her mother had seen the incident, but once certain Sumia's attention was on her, she was inconsolable. Sumia took her youngest daughter into her sympathetic arms in one instant, and in the next she turned to find Lucina already arguing in her own defense. "She started it!"

"Lucina, we do not hit! You're bigger than your sister! You could have hurt her!"

"She's just crying to get me in trouble!"

"Lucina, be quiet!"

"This wouldn't have happened if you'd just let me play with my toys!"

Sumia's anger was subverted by exhaustion as she questioned whether the argument was worth continuing. "Fine… just be quiet over there, okay?"

"... Can I still see big sister?"

"Just go over there!"

Lucina grabbed her two figurines and stormed off, leaving Sumia to awkwardly continue the conversation with Cordelia while simultaneously trying to calm her youngest daughter. "I'm sorry. These girls! I love them, but they drive me crazy sometimes! Do you ever feel that way with Severa?"

"Well, you know Severa. Her younger self can be a handful, but I can't imagine what it'd be like with two girls. Heh, hang in there Sumia."

"We do have a small army of handmaidens, but I try to be there for the girls myself whenever I can. Besides that, I honestly feel bad for the handmaidens when they have to handle these two by themselves."

Cordelia looked to something behind Sumia, and a smile formed on her serious visage. This wasn't the childish smile that she wore when watching her own daughter or her "nieces". This was a smile that only accompanied the Captain when she was making progress in a task the Exalt himself had given her, and meeting with his eldest daughter was reason enough for Cordelia to wear that smile now. "You know what they say. The stronger the child, the stronger the adults they grow into. Speaking of which-"

"Big sister!"

The Queen and the Captain both turned to see what had so gripped the younger Lucina's attention, and in an instant they were both as excited as she was. Stepping into the palace courtyard, the eldest (and at this time most famous) of the Exalt's daughters knelt down and lovingly seized her younger self into her arms as she sprinted to her. This woman, now the center of the unconditional, uncritical adoration of everyone present, had come to be known by many titles since the Fell Dragon's defeat. To those interested primarily in her battles against Grima, or in her connection to Naga, she was the Future Witness, the Warrior from a Doomed Future, or even the Hero of Time. To those who primarily cared about her birth and her connection to the royal family, she was Lucina "The Elder", or even the Twice Born.

To the future Exalt, she was simply "Big Sister", sometimes even "Bigger Me", and that was all she needed to be to earn her younger self's unselfish love. The Future Witness herself returned it tenfold.

"Oh, you've gotten so big!" Lucina hoisted her sister into the air and spun her around in bliss. Sumia and Cordelia were warmed at the sight, as they could never recall a time Lucina had ever been so tender in the Shepherds. The younger Lucina never knew that, as her elder self had fawned and doted on her for as long as she could remember. Notably, the younger Lucina's childish desire for material things was temporarily waived in the presence of her elder self, as the rarity of her appearances made them gifts in their own right. "I haven't seen you since your fourth birthday, and already you've grown."

The younger Lucina smiled with pride. "I'll be as big as you one day, Big Me! You'll see! Then we can go on adventures together!"

Lucina gave herself a soft kiss on the forehead before setting her down. "Don't be in such a hurry to grow up. How would mother and father get along in the palace without their very own hero to watch over them?"

"But… the people of Ylisse need a hero too?"

"Well-" Lucina's voice became more serious as she seemed to stare off into the distance. "Perhaps it is in their service that my life may yet offer something of note."

"Huh?"

"Nothing." Lucina tousled her younger self's hair before standing up. Though rather toned and muscular under her clothing for someone of her size, Lucina was a slender woman, often appearing as a thin blue streak in the corner of your eye before you could get a solid look at her. At first glance she looked like a typical young woman, but her exact age was hard to determine. Lucina's years, like her relationship with spacetime itself, were non-committal. Biologically she was sixteen when she travelled through the Outrealm Gate, and was eighteen when she joined the Shepherds in the fight against Walhart, Validar, and the Fell Dragon. Now she was twenty two, still a young woman by the account of most people, but Lucina had seen a lot of hardship and trauma in her short life, and it showed. Lucina's face still held the soft features of youth, but you could see where wrinkles would soon be. Her body seemed traditionally feminine and unstrained, but she reflexively held it tensed as if ready to spring to action in an instant. Her voice carried a power and weight to it, and in the depths of her blue eyes was a seriousness that most young women did not possess nor want to possess. The paradoxical committal of her physical appearance to both youthful innocence and battle hardened experience was also reflected in the complexity of her distinctive outfit. It was a seamless combination of both cloth and metal. Regality and practicality. Most of all, it was hers. With but a glimpse of it, you immediately knew which of the three Lords said to lead the Shepherds you would soon be meeting. Of course, there were other aspects of Lucina that emblazoned her identity; the Brand of the Exalt on her left eye, being the only female of the three Lords, her non-involvement in the current Ylissean government, and the fact that she now wandered the land while Chrom and Robin lived in the royal palace. Like a true knight errant, Lucina had walked off into the sunset following the Fell Dragon's defeat.

But she'd always return if her father needed her.

Finally bringing her eyes up from her beloved younger self, Lucina gave a warm smile as they fell upon their mother—biological in the younger's case, and happily accepted in the elder's case. Still she did not fully stand, but instead spread her arms wide and readily embraced her youngest sister as she toddled out of Sumia's grasp and into her own. Apparently having forgotten the allegedly severe injury her other sister had given her, Cynthia smiled as she too was hoisted into the air. "Lucy!" She would exclaim, her small hands affectionately grasping at her sister's cheeks and hair. Lucina made no effort to correct her or stop her uncoordinated fondling. She only bounced her younger sister up and down and smiled at her until Sumia approached, and the two women then embraced as tightly as they could without squishing Cynthia.

"You're here at last! Oh, how we miss you."

"Forgive me, mother."

"You don't have to apologize to me. Chrom and I know how you don't like to stay in any one place for long. We just worry is all."

"I was only gone a few months this time."

Sumia let go and gave the stern but kind glare of a parent. "Hmph. If you were a mother, you'd know just how long a few months can be. Mmm, let's just focus on being able to see each other again now."

"Of course. I missed you too, mother." Lucina's voice faded. "Perhaps more than you'll ever know."

"Hmm?"

"It's nothing. This is a happy time." Lucina smiled at Sumia and Cordelia before looking back to Cynthia. The youngest princess had grown disinterested in the talking, and she'd taken to pulling on Lucina's hair. "I would say that of any moment that could be spent with my family-OW! Heh, strong grip."

Lucina transferred Cynthia to Sumia as Cordelia stepped forward. She tried to give a smile that matched those of her friends, but her more serious demeanor betrayed her true feelings. "Lucina, as joyous as it is to see you again… Chrom and Robin didn't ask for you to come back just because they missed you."

"The Southtown Incident?"

"Something is very wrong, and we may well need your help."

The younger Lucina tugged on her elder self's clothing. "Psst. What does 'incident' mean?"

"My Queen… this conversation isn't appropriate for children. Perhaps Lucina should follow me to the palace now."

"I'll meet you there soon." Sumia nodded to Cordelia as she pulled the younger Lucina away. "Come on, girls."

Lucina slipped away from her as she rushed to her elder self's leg. "You're going on an adventure already?! You just got here!"

Lucina didn't speak until she'd knelt down again to be at eye level with her much disheartened self, and her voice was gentle. "I'm sorry, but father needs my help. Hey, as soon as I get back I'll spend the whole day with you. Just us sisters."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

The younger Lucina finally released her elder self back into the responsibilities of her adult life and allowed their mother to scoop her up and carry her away to the palace. Cordelia nodded towards an area much distanced from where the Exalt's family lived. Towards an area where matters of the Halidom's security were discussed. "I didn't mean to rush things, Lucina. It really is good to see you again. It's just that I don't want to keep Robin or Chrom waiting."

"Of course. I'm eager to see them again too."

Cordelia nodded and began to walk off, but Lucina glanced down and noticed that her younger self had failed to collect both of her figurines. Deciding Sumia was too far away to run after, Lucina slipped the one she'd neglected to take into her pocket with a shrug before following.

The royal palace in Ylisstol lorded over the rest of the city. Standing from its walls, you could look down and see everything going on in the capital with ease. The soft light of an Ylissean sunset now flooded over the land, laying out the world the Exalt ruled before Lucina as she occasionally glanced out the palace windows. Below her, several armed soldiers were gathered in the courtyard. Some of these soldiers were knights that Frederick, now a Knight Captain under the Exalt, had trained, while others were part of Cordelia's Pegasus Knights as the order slowly rebuilt. Looking further into the city, Lucina could make out individuals. She saw children playing in the streets. She saw two affluent looking men arguing over a horse. Merchants were beginning to close their stalls, and a few monks could be seen tending to the poor. A man chased after a pig that had gotten loose in the streets, and a donkey began to give its musical concert for the coming night. In the sky was a wyvern rider of some kind, and said wyvern occasionally punctured the stillness of the sky with a roar. All of these various noises combined and made their way to the palace where they came as quiet and distorted, as if Lucina and Cordelia were on the wrong end of a megaphone. It would all seem normal to most people, but as Lucina could vividly remember the city ablaze in her timeline, the sights and sounds were blissful to her.

Lucina and Cordelia eventually made their way deeper into the palace. There were no windows here, but this area was well protected by the stone fortifications. This area was not where the Exalt lived, nor was it where he would receive guests and nobles, but it was one of the most important parts of the palace to him. This is where the Exalt and his trusted advisor would meet to discuss matters of security. At least, that was how they were known to the people of Ylisse.

Lucina knew them as Chrom, and Robin. Lucina loved her father, the Newly Exalted, and would do anything to protect him. Though she'd wandered the land after the Fell Dragon's defeat, she would return without hesitation if her father ever needed her help. Robin, the Fell Vessel, was Chrom's right hand. Chrom trusted him with his life, and that was all the reason Lucina needed to do the same. Their actual relationship was considerably less straightforward.

"I see you had no problems getting here." Chrom and Lucina had embraced within moments of her walking through the door, and Chrom seemed to beam with pride as he slowly let go of her. "Know that I'll always be glad to see you again."

"And know that I'll always be there to answer your call, father."

"You know, Lucina, you're always welcome here. You don't just have to visit when the people of Ylisse are in danger."

"I'm sorry, father. I… lose track of things out there."

Chrom chuckled. "No need to apologize. That was my attempt at a joke. It's always good to see you again, regardless of the circumstances."

Still, I wish it could be under better circumstances." Robin said as he stepped forward. "Welcome back, Lucina."

Chrom and Robin contrasted each other greatly in appearances. You wouldn't think by looking at them that they'd be inseparable, but the two were almost always together. As Exalt, Chrom hadn't taken to wearing robes as Emmeryn had, but he didn't wear the attire of his younger self either. Chrom was adorned in plate armor with gold and blue trimmings, and a white cape flowed behind him. The Falchion was by his side, but he had little reason to draw it anymore. Though this armor looked imposing, it was really designed with regality rather than practicality in mind. Lucina had first met her father as a warrior on the battlefield, but now he was Exalt. He was no longer surrounded by comrades in arms, but by landed aristocrats. Some of the Shepherds had taken positions in the Ylissean government, but most had gone home to enjoy the peace they'd all fought for. Chrom was now largely in the company of nobles, and they didn't want him to be a warrior or a hero. They wanted him to be a noble, same as they. He was Exalt because of simple birth. Chrom had earned his position in the Shepherds through valor and heroism, but he had his position as Exalt through divine right. The nobles wanted his attire to reflect this, but ultimately Lucina thought that what he wore now was a good compromise. Then again, it was hardly the only outfit in the King's possession.

Physically, Chrom was twenty five years old now. His youth was leaving him, but he was in the prime of his adulthood, and he had many long years of good health to look forward to. Chrom had a rather dull face, but that was not to suggest anything about his looks. Many people, including the Captain of his own Pegasus Knights, would attest otherwise. Rather, his face had a lack of cunning. It was an open face, with kind eyes and a warm expression. Plotting and planning seemed alien to Chrom, and deceit wasn't in his nature. He was trusting and kind. He would help other people without question, and his very presence was inspiring. People trusted him, and they wanted to follow him.

On the other hand, Robin still wore the dark purple robes he had worn as the tactician of the Shepherds. Were it not for his youthful appearance or the fact that he always stood at Chrom's side, Robin's robes would be rather intimidating. The six eyes of Grima on the sleeves, a common design to robes of Plegian mages, didn't help.

Physically, Robin was a pale wisp of a man. He wasn't scrawny, but he didn't really impose. He always seemed to be watching. Analyzing. Scanning. Seeing things in an instant that others wouldn't see in a lifetime. He looked fairly young, but his hair was an unnatural stark white. His features were handsome enough, but even a quick look into his light brown eyes made light his cunning. He wasn't so easy to look at as Chrom, not because he was ugly, but because of the depth of the intellect that would stare back into you if you did. In some ways, Robin was everything Chrom was not. Especially now with Chrom in his white armor, the two seemed like opposites. Two sides of the same coin; never facing the same way, but forever connected. Perhaps this was why they got along so well.

Coming back to the present, Lucina smiled at Robin, but her heart would always flutter at the sight of him, and she felt uneasy. She'd felt like that since realizing he was the one who killed her father in her timeline, and she hadn't bend able to shake it. Why did she still feel this way? Was it because of his connection to the Fell Dragon, even after he'd seemingly sacrificed himself to stop it? Was it guilt for trying to strike him down in cold blood? Lucina didn't know, but she told herself time and time again that these feelings weren't fair. Robin had done more than enough to earn her trust. "It's good to see you too, Robin. So, there is a danger to Ylisse?"

Chrom became more serious as he walked over to a small table with a map of Ylisse on it. "I've asked to see you for many reasons over these past four years, Lucina. I've asked you for advice. To help train new generations of knights. To assist Cordelia and Frederick. To be there for Cynthia's birth, and for some of the princesses' birthdays. This time, however, there truly is a great danger to Ylisse."

"What has happened?"

"That's just it. We have no idea."

Robin approached the map and gestured for Lucina to join him. He then took his finger and drew an imaginary circle around a particular part of the map. This was Southtown, near where Robin and Chrom had first met just before Lucina herself arrived in the timeline. "Two weeks ago, all contact with Southtown was lost."

"What do you mean?"

"We haven't heard from anyone there in over a month, actually. No one has visited Ylisstol from there, and other Ylissean cities are saying the same thing. Two weeks ago is when we first tried to investigate. A small group of volunteer town watch agreed to travel there. They never came back. We then sent a small group of knights. They haven't returned either. Once word began to spread, people living here who are from Southtown began to travel there to see what was going on. As far as we know, none of them have returned either. The town was just wiped off the face of the Earth, and anyone who goes near it vanishes."

"Gods. How is that possible?"

"Something is there. We sent Cordelia to see if the town itself was fine. She flew around it at high altitude and reported that physically everything is still there. It hasn't been razed or anything."

"But what about the townspeople?"

"Gone. It was a ghost town. We told her not to get too close at the time, so she returned and suggested we send her and a whole squad of Pegasus Knights to enter the town. That's when I got the idea to request your help." Robin rubbed the back of his neck. "We didn't drag you away from anything important, did we?"

"Of course not. I enjoy seeing everyone again, but even more importantly, I'll happily give my time for the people of Ylisse."

Cordelia stepped forward and stood at attention. "My Pegasus Knights are ready to go at a moment's notice, Lucina. I'm sure the elder Cynthia will be happy to see you again."

"Wonderful. We'll go at once."

Chrom looked surprised. "Already? You… just got here."

"Is Ylisse not in danger, father?"

"Yes, but… it's been two weeks. What harm would come from waiting until morning? Do you need something to eat? Somewhere to rest?"

"I'm sorry, father, but I don't think I could get much rest knowing what you've just told me."

Chrom couldn't hide his disappointment. He seemed to want Lucina to stay longer, and it even looked like he'd regretted immediately telling her of the danger. Ultimately he managed a smile. "You've become such a diligent young woman. I couldn't be more proud of you."

"He's right, Lucina." Sumia added as she stepped into the room, Lucina's younger sisters no longer in tow. Mother and daughter shared one last hug. "You were already grown when we first met you, but we still can't believe how strong and brave you turned out. We just worry about you. It's our right as parents."

Cordelia smiled. "The Pegasus Knights will bring her back in one piece, my Queen."

"Of course. Just… keep an eye on Cynthia, you two. Make sure she doesn't run out into danger or anything."

"It's a promise, mother."

Cordelia and Lucina prepared to leave as quickly as they'd entered, but Chrom caught their attention one last time. "Wait… Lucina."

"Father?"

"As Exalt… I thank you for your service. As your father… you don't feel like I'm forcing you to do this, do you? I enjoy every opportunity to see you again, and you've done a lot for all of us, but you're a grown woman. I'd never dream of simply ordering you around."

"Father, no! I would happily fight in your name. Face any obstacle in your path. I will happily protect the peace we worked for."

"I… I thank you."

Robin noticed that Chrom had become solemn, and he stepped forward. "Hey, this is probably nothing anyways. How about we all do something more relaxing after this is over? When there aren't any problems to worry about?"

Lucina nodded. "I'd like that. Goodbye, father. Mother. Robin. I'll see you soon."

"Good luck."

Chrom watched as the two departed, and a depressed mood took him as Sumia moved to be by his side. Robin glanced between the two. "You guys aren't happy to see her?"

Chrom shook his head. "Robin, it's a blessing to see her again. It's just that… I mean, we're so proud of her. It's just that… that…"

"We wish she wouldn't just visit when there was a problem to deal with." Sumia answered. Chrom nodded as he went back to looking at the map.

"The only times she's come to visit that didn't involve military matters were for her younger sisters. I can tell she loves them, but it's like she doesn't really consider herself a member of our family. When we were in the Shepherds, she told me she didn't want to get in the way of her younger self. I told her those feelings were unfair. She was my daughter, and she'd always be welcome with her. Sometimes… I wonder if she still thinks that way. Most of the Shepherds have settled down since then, but Lucina has always returned to the battlefield. I wonder if she knows how to live a life of peace."

"Chrom…" Robin gently grabbed his shoulder. "She'll come back, and we can spend time with her then. She loves being with her family. I know it."

"Yeah… it's just… yeah, you're right. Besides, I'm more than just a father. I'm the Exalt, and I should get back to my duties."

Sumia glanced longingly back at the door. "We just want her to be safe."

* * *

The group moved quickly, and the sun hadn't even finished setting when they were airborne. Lucina had ridden on a Pegasus before, but not enough to be entirely used to it. The squadron of Pegasus Knights that made their way to Southtown now cruised at a little over fifteen hundred meters in altitude, allowing them to easily avoid the landscape and the suspicions of locals while taking advantage of wind currents. The air at this altitude was cold and thin, but not enough to seriously affect the body. A fall would certainly be fatal, but Lucina was used to the height at this point. She tried not to look down, but the occasional glance to the land below didn't bother her much.

What she did need getting used to were the massive cumulus clouds that hung over the countryside. From the ground these billowing, cotton like clouds seemed solid. Edifices that rose into the heavens, forever out of reach by humans. Pegasus Knights and wyvern riders knew better. These clouds were made of water vapor, and being in one was no different than being in a fog. Still, their vacuous nature wasn't readily apparent until after you'd flown into one, and Lucina still tensed up whenever the Pegasus Knights charged through them. The rider that she sat behind noticed, and she wasn't above teasing her over it.

"Relax, Lucina. It's like you think we're going to smash into it."

The Pegasus Knight in question was the second born of the Exalt's daughters, and the one Lucina had known the longest. Like their younger sisters, Lucina and Cynthia were only about a year apart, and yet there were a number of differences apparent between them. Cynthia wasn't nearly so serious as her sister. She'd been infatuated with stories of heroism ever since her girlhood, and she'd spent her life trying to be a hero in her own right. Of course, to Cynthia this meant superficial things like poses, the names of attacks, and entrances. She was often considered clumsy and ditzy. No one disliked her, but few people actually admired her. However, Lucina had fought beside her since they were children. She knew how much of a hero Cynthia truly was.

For all that, Cynthia had done well for herself. She had done much for Ylisse, and she now served as a kind of lieutenant in Cordelia's Pegasus Knights. She didn't lead them as Cordelia did, but her combat experience was indispensable in training them.

"Are we almost there? I thought I was used to flying, but I guess I am still getting accustomed. Actually, I'm starting to feel a little queasy."

"Is the Future Witness afraid of heights? I thought it was only bugs that were too much for you to handle?"

"I am not afraid of heights! Or bugs for that matter. I just don't like big, hairy, squirmy ones with long, spindly legs. So… gods. So many legs."

"Eww. Don't describe them!"

Lucina shook herself back to the present. "Anyways, I'm not afraid of them, or heights. I would just appreciate it if we land soon. Besides, why call me that?"

"Future Witness? It's what they call you isn't it? Actually they call you a lot of things. Lucky. I wish I had that many titles."

"I'd prefer it if you called me by name. That's how it's always been."

"I don't mean anything by it. You can call me by my title if you want. Know what they call me now?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm the Hero Chaser!" Cynthia's smile faded somewhat. "I kind of wish they'd just call me a hero. I mean, your title is so cool. Future Witness. I was in the future. I witnessed things." As the Pegasus Knights emerged from the cloud, Cynthia looked over to see Cordelia giving the signal to lower altitude. Sure enough, Southtown could be seen in the distance, and the sub-orbital sentinels would soon be upon it at their current speed. "Well look at that. We're almost here. You got your wish, and Lucina?"

"Yes?"

Cynthia turned to her as she instructed Belfire, her Pegasus, to land. "It's always good to see you again."

"You too, Cynthia."

The Pegasus Knights came down in the middle of Southtown with a crash. One of them weathered an exceptionally forceful landing, and her Pegasus bucked as if annoyed at the rider. "Ferris!" Cordelia snapped as she rode along the woman. "Your angle of descent was too steep! This isn't a combat landing."

"Yes, Captain."

One of the first women to join the rebuilt Pegasus Knights, Ferris was a young woman, fairly dull in her physical appearance save for her silver hair. Her combat skills had impressed Cordelia, even if her skill in riding her mount left much to be desired, and so she was a kind of sergeant in the Pegasus Knights. She deferred to Cynthia and Cordelia, but could lead the rest of her sisters in their absence. There was little else of note about her, but she could be taken as a microcosm of the recruits that Cordelia had found over the past four years.

Cordelia and Cynthia were the only Pegasus Knights left after Grima's defeat—especially when Sumia retired. They alone had to shoulder the task of rebuilding the order, and yet in just a few short years they'd recruited forty women, and more were ready every year. The majority of these women had never held a weapon in their lives when they volunteered. They came seeking an alternative to being apprentices or farmer's wives, or at least for a few years of excitement and notability before settling in those roles, and they had no idea what war was like. They seemed hopeless. Even a town watch wouldn't have taken them.

Now, clad in their plate armor, short skirts, and long knee high boots, they seemed as regal and disciplined as the Pegasus Knights had been under Phila, Cordelia's own mentor. They'd never actually seen a major engagement, but they were willing to give their lives for Ylisse, and perhaps that was enough. Cordelia scanned all twelve of the recruits that had accompanied her to Southtown, checking for any mistakes to correct, but deep down she was proud of them. She also greatly admired Cynthia for her role in training them, but as it dawned on her that Cynthia hadn't landed with the others, she was reminded of qualities she didn't admire about the princess. The other Pegasus Knights looked up in confusion as flower petals rained down from the air, but Cordelia just rubbed her face in frustration.

Cynthia herself finally came thundering down a moment later, the petals dancing around her in a whirling vortex. It was an awe inspiring sight, or at least it was for the few moments before they embedded themselves in her clothing and hair. "Ha, ha! Beware, evildoers! The graceful heroine swoops down… wait. Where are the evil doers?"

Lucina herself had to brush petals out of her hair. "So that's what the bag by your side was for. Anyways, I was told this place was abandoned."

"Well that's what we're here to find out. Come on, girls! Less talk, more work. First flight, with me! Stay airborne to cover more ground. Second flight, stay with Cynthia. Dismount and search the buildings. We're looking for any signs of what happened here."

"Captain!" The women all responded. Cordelia had her Pegasus hover just above the ground, and Lucina dismounted with her sister as they began to walk down the streets. Southtown was a small and unassuming town. It had paved stone streets and a number of stone buildings, but there wasn't much else notable about it. Lucina looked carefully for signs of battle and struggle. There were broken street stalls and places where fires had long burnt out, and some buildings had damage to them. Most alarming were splotches of dried blood that could occasionally be found. Beyond that, there wasn't any evidence of battle. There were no bodies. The buildings were intact, and it didn't look like they'd been looted. None of it made any sense.

Then the voice of Ferris, who had been part of first flight, pierced through the stillness of the air. "Captain!" She called to Cordelia. Sensing something had happened, Lucina ran back to her, and Cynthia followed. The recruit landed, softly this time, by Cordelia and gestured towards the outskirts of the town with her lance. "We found something, Captain. Survivors. They look like the original residents of the town."

Cordelia nodded and turned to the princesses. "Cynthia. Stay here with second flight. I'll investigate."

"I'll come too." Lucina insisted. Cordelia allowed her to mount Aurora, her Pegasus, and the two flew after Ferris before landing by a house just outside of the town. Several other Pegasus Knights were gathered around the door, and they pointed their lances to it as if trying to keep something in. Cordelia wasn't in agreement with this, and she forcibly lowered a recruit's lance as she stepped forward.

"There's no need to scare the people inside!"

"Sorry, C-Captain." The recruit responded meekly. "Ferris ordered us to keep them here."

"Is this true, Ferris?"

The more experienced recruit nodded as she walked towards the door. "I know it may seem extreme, Captain, but I didn't want them to leave before you got here. They weren't overly willing to cooperate with us." Ferris pounded on the door, and it opened to reveal a handful of civilians. Their clothes were dirty, and an unpleasant smell wafted out from the building, suggesting that they'd been there for some time. "Here they are, Captain. The woman here says something in the town killed her son."

"Some _thing_?"

The woman in front had ragged blonde hair, and her face was taken by shock and anger. "Like a man… but not. It was like a black silhouette, even up close, and it had glowing red eyes."

A shiver ran down Lucina's spine. "No. Gods no…"

"It's alright now. You can come out. We can get you to safety, and you can tell us everything that happened when you're ready."

The woman retreated further into the perceived safety of the building, and the other survivors were content to stay behind her. "You don't understand. You're not safe. You're doomed now. You'll die just like the other Ylissean soldiers they sent."

"What?"

"A black and red cloud will come. When it disperses, you'll already be gone. You don't get it. The monsters haven't left. If you really want to help us, then don't talk to us anymore. Don't lead them to us!"

The woman slammed the door shut, and no amount of pounding or shouting from Ferris convinced them to open it. Cordelia and the other Pegasus Knights stood around the house in confusion, but Lucina felt someone's gaze fixated on her, and she turned to find a woman perched on a nearby rooftop. Cordelia noticed a few seconds later, and soon all of the Pegasus Knights had their lances trained on her.

The woman adorned herself in a red outfit, with plates of armor reminiscent of what Valkyries wore. That said, horses were also crucial to Valkyries, and but there wasn't any horse in sight for the woman to have ridden. The woman herself had actually seemed to materialize out of thin air, as the airborne Pegasus Knights hadn't seen her before. Little else about the woman's appearance was immediately notable, as she covered the bottom and left side of her face with a strange mask. The mask gripped her head perfectly despite its strange shape, and it left only her right eye visible. For the most part this mask, colored a dark red with no features that could be made out from this distance, prevented the woman from having a proper face. It hid her human features, making her more of an entity than a person. It was almost impossible to tell what she was thinking or looking at.

Almost.

Only the woman's right eye was left visible by her mask, but it was enough to show how she felt. The woman's eye, deep and clear, was a blue so light that it was almost slate in color. In that eye, that seemingly soft eye, was a fearsomeness and a hatred. The woman's iris, so piercing that it could be made out clearly even several meters away, burned with a radiant blue, as if actually giving off light. For a second, Lucina thought she was staring into some inhuman thing, but she turned away to regain her nerve. Looking back, the woman's eye was normal again, but her hatred still radiated from it. It seemed to be a hatred directed at the Pegasus Knights, and at Lucina in particular. "I see the Exalt has sent soldiers to enforce the feudal system's repression. Women, all of you. How… patriarchal of him."

Cordelia tightened her grip on her lance. "Excuse me?"

The woman seemed to ignore her, instead continuing to glare at Lucina in particular. "I wondered who they would send next. Lucina herself. I'm flattered."

Lucina slowly stepped forward. "Who are you?"

The woman's voice choked with barely contained rage, like a child throwing a tantrum, but obviously with a far deeper voice. "I? I am a testament to your strength. To your power. To your control. I am the depravity of your sins made light."

"Are you responsible for what happened here?!"

"All things in time, Twice Born… assuming you survive."

And then the civilian's warning was proven true. A fog began to surge forward from behind the woman. At first glance the vapor was pitch black, like a particularly severe thundercloud, but wisps of blood red were there too. Lucina looked back to the woman to find that she was gone, enveloped by the maelstrom of mist. Lucina then turned to see Cordelia still by her, but the fog was so thick now that she couldn't even see the house or the Pegasus Knights that were presumably still nearby. "Everyone regroup!" Cordelia commanded. "Get back to the town with second flight."

Lucina followed Cordelia closely as they mounted Aurora, and the two flew back to where Cynthia and the others still were. It took almost an entire, agonizing minute for all the other Pegasus Knights to follow them. They'd all been but a few meters apart before, but so severe was this strange fog that many struggled just to find their mounts again. Ultimately every woman did regroup with Cordelia, but Ferris' landing once again left much to be desired. She brought her Pegasus down hard, having not realized where the ground was, and the animal cried out in pain and frustration. As if driven to spite Ferris, her Pegasus then bucked her right off, sending her slamming into the wall of a nearby building. Normally this would have only been an annoyance to the armored woman, but once again the civilian's warning proved true.

There was some _thing_ in the town.

"ARGH!" Lucina, Cynthia, and Cordelia couldn't initially see exactly what had happened to Ferris, but the princesses' worst fears in particular came true before their very eyes as the Pegasus Knight stumbled into view through the fog, grappling for her life with a humanoid figure. The only features that could be made out through the fog were the entity's glowing red eyes, but that was enough to tell the three former Shepherds what it was, and by extension what had happened to the town. Ferris herself had paid attention to her history enough to hazard a guess, and, if for no other reason than to calm herself, she yelled at it as they fought. The abomination eventually brought its axe down upon her, and she spoke to it as she desperately pushed against her lance to block it. "Argh! You monsters are supposed to be gone! You, you don't have any souls!"

And then this all too familiar monstrosity, this Risen, did something that even Lucina and Cynthia had never seen before. It spoke. Clearly. Fluently. "And that is why they don't have any _fear_."

Lucina sprinted to the Pegasus Knight's defense, but help had come from an unexpected place before she could even reach her. Though frustrated at Ferris, her steed apparently refused to see her killed, and the Pegasus charged forward and kicked the Risen to the ground. Lucina arrived just in time to see its corpse dissipate, as all Risen did when defeated. Cynthia followed just behind. "No! No-no-no-no-no-no-NO! There aren't supposed to be anymore Risen! We vanquished them! We kicked their undead butts and sent them to Risen heaven, or wherever it is they go. Why?! Why is this happening?!"

Even Lucina couldn't stay stoic. "Gods no! An entire town… this is what we fought to stop. They can't be back! Is everything we did for nought?! No, gods NO!"

"Lucina! Cynthia!" Cordelia spoke to them as she helped Ferris stand and catch her breath. "Just calm down!"

"Maybe you don't understand what this means!" Cynthia countered. "We spent our childhoods fighting these things! We thought we'd stopped this!"

"Well… let's think about this. We know dark mages can summon and control Risen. Algol did it. Henry even did it once. This is probably just the work of brigands, maybe trying to cover their trail."

Lucina took deep breaths. "Perhaps… perhaps you're right. Maybe we're overreacting. It's not impossible that dark mages would use the Risen for all manner of purposes now."

Cordelia nodded to Ferris as she managed to stand on her own again. "See what I mean? Take care of your mount, and she'll take care of you."

"Yes, Captain."

"Now where did that thing come from?"

"The building, Captain. It grabbed me through the glass. I broke free, but it kicked down the door and followed me out."

Lucina frowned. "Then… why didn't they make themselves known when we entered the town? Were they… luring us in?"

Cordelia thought about it. "Risen aren't that smart."

Then yet another recruit cried out. "Contacts!"

As if on command, the fog began to fade away. It was still there, obscuring the view of the land outside the town, but everyone could see for several meters around them now. Then the rest of the Risen came. They threw themselves out of doors and glass windows. They crawled up from the water, and some literally dug through the streets. Some just materialized out of nowhere, as if the fog had created them. Within seconds there were over thirty of them, outnumbering the Pegasus Knights two to one. Cynthia and the rest of the second flight had been on foot as Cordelia instructed, and the Risen now cut them off from their mounts. The other Pegasus Knights had their mounts hover just above the ground, but they didn't want to leave their comrades alone there, so they all formed a circle and pointed their lances towards the monsters. Lucina herself drew the Parallel Falchion and prepared for the all too familiar fight against the Risen horde. It was a fight she'd hoped she'd never have to be part of again, but it was familiar to her all the same.

Then she noticed that the Risen weren't advancing. They were all staring at her, and she could tell too. Some of the Risen hadn't just aimlessly looked her way. No. They were looking right at her, like intelligent beings. Then one stepped forward and spoke with the same voice from before. "Lucina." The princess didn't think she could be afraid of Risen anymore, but that haunting, echoing voice shook her. Lucina had spent her whole life fighting Risen. Even the Fell Dragon itself had once taken the time to taunt her personally.

But no Risen had ever called her by name before.

Lucina aimed her sword at the abomination. "You don't scare us. Risen don't speak, and they don't hide like that. We know you're just some dark mage, and this has nothing to do with Grima. You may have terrified the people here, but we are not frightened. If you've committed crimes against the people of Ylisse, then you will face justice."

The "Risen" spoke with a deep, unnatural voice. Lucina and the others had no way to describe it, but the modern ear might say it sounded mechanical. "Your pathetic minds fumble in ignorance. Your bestial intelligence desperately grasps, trying to understand. There is a realm of existence so far beyond your comprehension that you cannot even begin to fathom it."

Cynthia looked between Lucina and the Risen. "Wow… I got to learn to talk like that."

Cordelia flew over by Lucina's side, but she didn't stop pointing her lance at the Risen. "Take this seriously!"

"Cynthia, please." Lucina lowered her sword, but only slightly. "Did you attack this town, whatever you are?"

"The settlement fell to human agency. I was simply the instrument."

"Why?"

"Because violence is the only thing universally recognized by your race, but I am more than willing to converse in that language. In the final analysis, I would wade through a river of corpses, drowning in blood, filth, bones, and slime, just for the opportunity to take a single human life. I would do this to rid this world of your mouth breathing race, but even more than that, I would do it because I _enjoy_ it. Yet, I have a beautiful plan for humanity. If only you could live to see it. I will drag your kind into greatness, whether you want it or not, Lucina." The Risen began to spasm and twitch, but still it spoke. "I will direct this personally."

The Risen violently shook and convulsed, much to the apathy of its companions, until it inexplicably thrusted itself upward and hovered in place. Cracks appeared along the Risen, as if it were fracturing, and light spilled out from these like magma. With a final burst of purple light, the Risen straightened itself and was lowered back to the ground. Purple energy radiated outwards from the Risen's warped form, and Lucina noticed it was actually continuing to hover just a few centimeters in the air. The Risen had also dropped its weapon, clenching its fists instead. The women all took several steps back, even if this put them closer to some of the regular Risen. "All units, focus on the minions. I will deal with the Lord."

Cynthia readied herself. "I think you have an admirer, Lucina."

"Wonderful."

Without further warning, the enhanced Risen extended its arm and let loose a blast of dark magic. The attack arced into Lucina's body before she could even begin to react, sending her hurtling past her comrades. She came to rest almost ten meters away, and it was almost a minute before she could bring herself to stand again. The other Risen had descended on the Pegasus Knights the moment their "leader" had attacked, and none could break away to help the princess. Ferris almost did, but a Risen rewarded her courage by burying its axe in the left side of her face, and the other women barely struggled to keep up. The flying Pegasus Knights swooped around and stabbed downwards with their lances, while their grounded comrades tried best they could to hold their positions.

Lucina herself wasn't able to see this chaos, as the enhanced Risen was upon her as soon as she rose to her feet. It had simply floated past the battle that was erupting behind it. It wasn't that it'd let her get up. Rather, it only seemed capable of hovering at a certain speed. Still the Risen was inexorable, and it continued to move towards Lucina even as she readied her Falchion. "Your minions cannot save you, Lucina." The princess decided she was finished talking with the entity, whatever it was, but it didn't share the same feelings. Summoning a weapon made entirely from magical energy, the very same spell that a Grima possessed Robin had used to kill Chrom in Lucina's own timeline, the enhanced Risen spoke to her even as the two exchanged blows. "You stand with Robin and Chrom, Lucina, but you are not like them. They command. Lead. You do not. You take their orders without question. Lords arise in times of conflict to save humanity from a great threat, but they don't just fight. They lead. They would never fight without their allies by their side. You are different. You are willing to fight by yourself. Even if your time traveling companions had refused to accompany you through the Outrealm Gate, you still would have gone alone without a second thought."

Lucina didn't want to listen to any of this, but the Risen had skill beyond any she'd faced. Its strange magic was strong enough to resist the Parallel Falchion, and the entity could match Lucina blow for blow. "What is this?! Don't speak like you know me!"

"You're not like any other Lords, Lucina. The other heroes of legend, Sigurd, Seliph, Marth, Alm, Celica, the First Exalt, and even Robin and Chrom, they all fought for humanity, but they also lead armies. They depended on them. You've never depended on anyone but yourself. The other Lords lived in peace after their conflicts were over, but you, Lucina, continue to seek battle. Friendship, love, peace, the bonds between people, these things are championed by other Lords, but you don't care about those as much as you care about conflict. You're unique, Lucina. You don't quite fit the mold, and that makes you interesting."

"Why are you speaking to me?!"

"You've attracted the attention of a being infinitely your greater. I will not underestimate you. You will die with the other Lords of the Shepherds." The two continued their duel, but still the Risen spoke. "Why do you continue to fight? Why won't you settle down? A husband? Children? Land? Power? Do these things mean anything to you, Lucina?"

"Enough!"

"Perhaps you truly cared about preventing your future, and about saving your loved ones, but what do you want, Lucina? What desires do you have for yourself in the depths of your heart? Don't tell me you don't have any. All humans are selfish. Do you even know how to live without a war to fight? Fighting is the only thing you've ever known. Your struggle against the Fell Dragon has defined your entire life. You don't know how to coexist with peace. You're a living weapon. You don't want peace. You want your family to be happy, but you don't want that for yourself."

"Enough of this!"

"Surely you've realized over the years that your proclamations of peace have seemed pointless. You love the smell of battle. You love conflict. At the very least, it's the only thing that's ever given you purpose."

Gritting her teeth and focusing all of her frustrations into her movements, Lucina finally managed to exploit an opening in the abomination's defense. It was brief, but it was all she needed, and the Risen staggered back as Lucina's Parallel Falchion made its way through it. It was clear that the Risen was going to die, so to speak, but it didn't simply fade away. Light poured from the cracks on the thing's form with increased intensity, but still it spoke until the very end. "Kill one, Lucina, and a hundred more will take its place." Ignoring the taunt, Lucina rested against her sword, having still not recovered from the attack that sent her there in the first place. Her muscles eased and she allowed herself to accept the brief moment of respite, but as she turned her head to check on her friends, she came to immediately regret it. Yet another Risen, seemingly no different than its companions, keeled over in a seizure as the first one had, and before long it had also taken to hovering. "Returning to the battlefield."

"... Oh."

The enhanced Risen broke off from the brawl and began to hover towards Lucina, but not before gesturing to the others. "The minions are irrelevant. Kill the Lord."

With that simple command the Pegasus Knights went from fighting for their lives to completely ignored as the Risen, _all_ of the Risen, charged towards Lucina. They swarmed, stumbling and tripping over themselves in a fury to be the one to strike her down. Those attacks quickly became uncoordinated and chaotic, and Lucina was able to weave out of harm's way, but it was everything she had to avoid that many strikes all falling on her at once. Lucina was also realizing that she hadn't pushed herself in the past four years like in the fight against Grima. It was possible these Risen were faster than the ones back then, but it was more likely Lucina herself was a little out of practice. She could still move as quickly as she needed to, but not without something in her body talking to her.

And as that haunting voice boomed over her, she realized it wasn't getting any easier. "I will not be gentle, Lucina." The enhanced Risen created another weapon from thin air and tried to come down directly on top of Lucina as it hovered over her. Lucina didn't react in time to fully block it, and the two became locked in a grapple as it tried to unceremoniously impale her. The very same fate that had befallen her father. Her skills with her blade fell away to reflexive kicking and striking as their forms intertwined in struggle, but Lucina at least kept the Parallel Falchion in between her and the spell. She still wasn't strong enough to hold back the undead fully, and it moved to push down on her while trying to actively force the Parallel Falchion into her own face. "This hurts you, Lucina."

"Hrrg! Of all the Risen I've ever faced-"

Resigning herself to being overpowered, Lucina desperately let go of the Falchion as the enhanced Risen cruelly shoved it into her. The divine blade was blunted as soon as her hand left it, and so Lucina was knocked backwards with a bloody nose rather than left dead with a head wound. Thinking quickly, she took advantage of this momentum to further throw herself backwards and finally worm free of the monster's grasp. She then retrieved the Falchion, quickly blocked attacks from two regular Risen that tried to kill her while she was down, and slashed off the enhanced Risen's legs. Light began to flood from its cracks, and she could tell it was going to die as it crumpled to the ground, still trying to hover and still trying to speak. "Your actions justify my hatred of mammals, Lucina."

Lucina let out a brief sigh of relief as that Risen disappeared in a flash of purple light, and another took advantage of this time to clip her in the shoulder. Mentally kicking herself for the mistake, Lucina spun around and struck it down, but over two dozen more Risen awaited her. Whatever private fears and doubts she may have harbored in that moment were instinctively repressed as she readied her blade and prepared for yet another bout with them, but in truth she was deeply grateful as the Pegasus Knights stormed forward and began to cut them down. Cynthia and her recruits had taken the time to retrieve their mounts after the Risen left them, and now the younger princess grinned from ear to ear as she struck down another of the attackers in front of the elder. "She's not the only exalted princess you need to worry about, villains!"

Cordelia came to her side. "Lucina, you're hurt!"

"It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

Lucina angrily wiped the blood from her nose as yet another of the Risen began to convulse and shake. She slammed the Falchion into the ground in fury, but not without thinking about the situation. "Nothing. Just a stupid mistake. Now, whatever is controlling these things, it's not physically here. If you can destroy all of the regular Risen, then that thing won't have any left to possess. We can end this."

Cynthia and Cordelia nodded, though the Captain still couldn't hide her concern. "You'll be okay?"

"I can handle this. I'm the woman it seems to want anyways."

"I am overriding the sovereignty of this unit." The entity began its attack on Lucina, but this time the Pegasus Knights worked diligently to cut down the other Risen before they could mob her. Once more the two entered into a duel. This time Lucina could hold it off, but she had to take care not to strike it down. It would simply come back if she did. She had to focus on defending herself, and as such she was forced to listen to its endless, monotone comments.

"Submit to me, Lucina, and I will ensure that you die before your beloved father."

"You cannot harm me, Lucina. You only damage the vessel."

"Feel me, Lucina."

"Surrender, and your younger self may yet be spared, Lucina."

"Cynthia need not die here, Lucina. Submit and she may be spared."

"Resist if you must, Lucina, but I will have you in time."

"You only delay the inevitable, Lucina."

"You should have died with your primogenitors, Lucina."

When finally the last Risen fell to Cordelia's lance, Lucina allowed herself some pleasure in striking her strange admirer through the chest. The enhanced Risen stumbled back, but it also blasted Lucina with light from the wound like some kind of rudimentary, medieval fantasy flashbang. Lucina furiously tried to regain her constitution, but the Risen struck her in the head to knock her down and prepared to impale her with its spell. "I expected better from you, Lucina."

"And we expected better from you, creepy dark mage creep!" Lucina looked up to see Cynthia and Belfire swoop down. The Risen fell as a lance tore through it, and it spoke one last time as it crumpled to the ground.

"These forms are fragile. You've changed nothing."

Lucina breathed a long sigh of relief as the enhanced Risen disappeared in a flash of purple light. The black and red fog around the town faded soon after. The battle was finally over. Cynthia landed nearby and raised her lance in the air. "Great plan, Lucina! We really are a good team, huh? Oh, and uh… it's too bad about what happened to the town."

Cordelia approached Lucina and began to dab at her bloodied nose with a cloth. "Lucina, sweetie, are you sure you're not hurt? I can get something for this."

Lucina tried to step back. "Hey! S-Stop! I'm fine, Cordelia. Really."

"Heh, sorry. I guess I'm used to talking to your younger self now." Cordelia smiled warmly at her lord's daughter, but she was filled with sorrow as she looked at her recruits. Many were visibly shaken by the fighting and had minor injuries, and three women were gathered by Ferris as she held the left side of her face and bit down hard on a piece of wood to cope with the pain. "Gods. Oh my gods. This just got a lot more complicated."

"I guess the Risen missed you, Lucina. Heck of a welcoming back, huh?"

Lucina turned to Cynthia and sheathed the Parallel Falchion as the sun finally slipped below the horizon. "Maybe that thing was right."

"What?!"

"Maybe I can't coexist with peace."

(To clarify on how this story will be written, both Lucinas will be featured as the protagonists of story acts. Set just a few years after Awakening, this first act will show the elder Lucina facing obstacles independently of Robin and Chrom while finding her role in a world without Grima. I haven't decided on character pairings yet, and I don't know whether I'll have the Spotpass characters be alive or not. Let me know what you think would be better.)


	3. The Threat to Peace

It is sometimes said that differences are at the root of most conflicts. Humans naturally form bonds and social structures, but once these groups have been forged, other groups become outsiders. Threats. It becomes a matter of "us" and "them". There are, of course, many reasons why people would come to blows, but so many of these reasons are based on differences. A man does not generally hate a man he feels a connection to. A man hates another man because the second man is from another social class. Because he has a different skin color. Because he speaks a different language. Because he worships the wrong god. Because he cheers for the wrong sports team. Because he's attracted to the wrong gender. Because he happens to currently be in the wrong lane of traffic. The tale of us and them is as old as humanity itself. To see a great example of conflict caused by differences, you need not look any further than the history of Ylisse and Plegia. There are innumerable differences between Ylisse and Plegia, and many of these differences are entirely outside of either country's control. They were caused before Ylisse and Plegia even existed.

Much like with human families, you can learn a lot about the relationship between two countries by looking at their ancestors and their relationships. Before there ever was the Halidom of Ylisse, or the Theocracy of Plegia, or the Regna Ferox, there was the United Kingdom of Archanea—forged two millennia ago by the Hero King Marth and his wife Caeda. Like most attempts at bringing about unity over a large area, the kingdom eventually broke apart in a conflict called the Schism, but even before then the differences between Ylisse and Plegia had been brewing. The kingdom didn't truly represent all of the continent. One language dominated. One culture reigned supreme. One religion, and the one Divine Dragon it championed, eventually reigned over the others, and it certainly didn't help that the royal family ruled through divine right. How could you claim anything else when each monarch had the blood of that Divine Dragon in their veins? When the kingdom's treasures were forged from that Divine Dragon's teeth? Even the kingdom's name referenced a single country, a country founded after a thief sold the gems from that Divine Dragon's artifact, used the money to raise an army and conquer the continent, then made that artifact a treasure of the kingdom in that Divine Dragon's name. To put it simply, if you weren't overly keen on worshipping _that Divine Dragon_ , then the United Kingdom wasn't for you.

The continent had been divided into a number of countries before the United Kingdom was founded, and you can generally tell which countries would have their cultures marginalized over the next two millennia by how they fought in the War of Shadows. The "protagonist" countries of Altea, Archanea, and Talys would do well in the United Kingdom, and they would be exalted by the Halidom of Ylisse. The "antagonist" countries of Dolhr, Gra, Grust, Macedon, and Pyrathi were diminished, or even forgotten about entirely. The Halidom of Ylisse cares little for the history of these nations unless it directly involved Marth himself. These lands are simply "Not Ylisse". The remaining countries of Khadein and Aurelis, which both helped and hindered Marth, would eventually be lopped along with a lot of uninhabited land into Ferox, which is thought by the Halidom of Ylisse to be both helpful and barbaric depending on how much it's currently assisting Ylisse. As a general rule, the "good guy" countries of yore became Ylisse, and the "bad guy" countries became Plegia. As you can see, only a brief look at history is needed to see how cyclical it can be.

There was, however, a great exception. Though Ylissean Exalts took great pride in having descended from the Hero King, they could never walk the lands of his birth, as Altea had also become part of Plegia. No doubt this only contributed to the hostility between the two countries.

All of this is not to say that Ylisse and Plegia hadn't become very different from each other after being founded. Quite the opposite, the two hated each other from the beginning. When the Fell Dragon first appeared to threaten humanity, a nobleman from the United Kingdom—a descendant of the Hero King—took the Falchion, made a blood pact with Naga, performed the Awakening ritual on Mount Prism, and then slew Grima. He then took a beautiful Pegasus Knight—who wielded the Wing Spear as Caeda did—as a wife and created the Halidom of Ylisse as the Schism broke out and the rest of the continent promptly went down the crapper. How you react to this story generally depends on whether you're Ylissean or Plegian. The First Exalt made a blood pact with Naga as Anri did? He was being heroic and poetic, or alternatively, he used divine power to justify his claim to the throne over any competitors. He slew Grima? He was saving humanity, or alternatively, he was destroying the God of Annihilation—a perfectly normal thing in nature—just because Naga told him to. He took a Pegasus Knight as a wife? He was being romantic and noble, or alternatively, he was being coercive as he took a woman he had social authority over as a wife because he could. He founded the Halidom of Ylisse as the United Kingdom of Archanea broke apart? He was caring about his people, or alternatively, he was consolidating his power for selfish gain as the rest of the continent fell into anarchy.

Following Grima's defeat, a number of human followers that worshipped the Fell Dragon formed the Grimleal. They stole a gem from the Fire Emblem and created the nation of Plegia. Worshipping Grima became the official religion of Plegia, and the Grimleal devoted themselves to one day resurrecting the Fell Dragon. How you react to this story generally depends on whether you're Ylissean or Plegian. The people who worshipped Grima created the Grimleal to resurrect him? They were devoted followers, or alternatively, they were crazy cultists. The Grimleal stole a gem from the Fire Emblem? They were preventing the infidels from using its power to force their religion on the land, or alternatively, they were potentially dooming humanity. The Grimleal created Plegia? They were protecting their culture and identity from Ylisse and its mono-cultural imperialism, or alternatively, they were creating a nation of evil.

Even then, there were countless other reasons for the two countries to hate each other. Ylisse hated that many Plegians turned to banditry, and Plegia hated that Ylisse was more fertile and had better agriculture. Ylisse hated that Plegia worshiped a god of evil, and Plegia hated that Ylisse tried to force the religion of the United Kingdom of Archanea on the land. Ylisse hated that Plegia had become wealthy through coastal trading, and Plegia hated that Ylisse had isolated it by allying with Ferox. Ylisse hated that the Plegian king was whoever managed to seize power after the previous king died, and Plegia hated Ylisse because its royal family claimed that they were the legitimate heirs of the United Kingdom of Archanea because they could be traced back to the Hero King. Ylisse hated that Plegians favored cunning, deceit, and treachery, and Plegia hated that Ylisse had a rule of law that was obtuse and bourgeois. Ylisse hated Plegia for its state sanctioned brigands, wyvern riders, and dark mages, and Plegia hated Ylisse for its Knights, healers, and Pegasus Knights. The Ylissean race was descended the victors of history. From heroic and valiant Lords. From brave and loyal knights. From mercenaries and brigands who were convinced to fight for something better. From leaders who fought for their countries no matter how bad things got. From the pious who devoted their lives to the Divine Dragons. From regal princes and princesses. The Plegian race was descended from the losers of history. From the cultists that followed the Earth Dragons. From the leaders who seized the throne out of a desire for power. From those that stood with Dolhr because they were afraid to resist. From those who had been expelled by the victors of history to the furthest corners of the land, where, with a venomous sense of grievance and inferiority, they continue to take pride in their megalomania. From those who stood against the victors of history because their way did not suit their own convenience; the desires of touchy, sorrowful, flayed defenders of a broken heritage. From a race whose barbarous, cunning, valiant defiance had been enslaved, thousands of years ago, by the race that the Ylisseans represented, and yet deep in their hearts they felt this still. You could go on forever about the differences between the two countries.

It is a tale as old as time itself. You can see it in our world too. The Romans against the Carthaginians. The Eastern Romans then Greeks against the Arabs then Turks. The Germanic English, descended from the Anglo-Saxons, against the Celtic Welsh, Scots, and Irish. The Chinese, themselves coming from a land fractured by conflict, against the Japanese, whose homeland had also been divided into conflict. The capitalist Union of States against the socialist Union of Soviet Republics. Two countries unable to coexist, locked in struggle. Both sides think themselves as righteous, and justify their actions as such.

To sum it all up, the peaceful reign of Emmeryn, Chrom's predecessor and elder sister, was an exception, not the rule.

* * *

In the present, four years after the Shepherds defeated the Fell Dragon, the masked woman from the Southtown incident stood in the cloisters of Plegia Castle, overlooking the rest of the city. For centuries this had been the capital of the Theocracy of Plegia, perhaps built here by the Grimleal because of its proximity to a massive skull of Grima. As another example of how cyclical history could be, it stood where Dolhr Castle had stood two thousand years prior. Four years ago, Lucina herself had wondered if it was real or an edifice. It seems the question has been answered, as the skull disappeared after Grima was resurrected. To clarify, it still existed, but it was now with the rest of Grima's remains off the coast of Origin Peak. Should future generations of Plegians continue to worship Grima as their ancestors did, they would most certainly complain that the remains of their god were buried at sea, so to speak, and couldn't be used to make a shrine. Yet another reason for conflict between the two countries.

"What a disgusting country." The woman thought aloud as her light blue, almost slate colored eye looked over the barren countryside. "What a disgusting continent. How could it produce men like Marth, Anri, and the First Exalt? Like Chrom, Robin, and Lucina?"

"Lucina is a man now?" A male voice behind her said.

"Well, she did pretend to be one for awhile." Another joked. The woman looked back to both, unamused.

"You know what I mean."

"Cheer up, Steiger. Our continent gave the world Alm and Celica… and Walhart."

"Steiger" walked into a room tucked away in the castle's wall. Five men stood around a table, and Steiger herself glared at a map sitting on top of it as she stepped forward and spread her hands on the table. "And yet our continent suffers in chaos and anarchy, while the victorious Ylisseans rest in their cradle of power. Chrom, Robin, Lucina, those three Lords of the Shepherds, they have no idea what's coming." The woman dragged her fingers against the table wood as her eye burned with hatred. "Especially Chrom. He will lose everything he loves. Everyone he loves. He will be broken, like we were, and then he will die."

One man, young with dark red hair, stepped forward. "We gotta get Lissa and her son, err, sons, too if you want to end the bloodline. Cynthia also."

"You misunderstand, Breakneck. It's not about ending the royal family. It's about killing the Lords."

"But if Chrom and his children died, she'd become a Lord."

"No. Lord is not a title. It's a class. A state of mind. A kind of person. An archetype. Chrom was always a Lord. Robin was always a Lord. Lissa is one of history's bystanders. Lords always find their way to significance. Chrom was the second born, yet he ended up more than Emmeryn. Robin was just a normal man after he was taken from the Grimleal as a child, but he found his way to significance. Lucina lost everything as a child, but she survived, even as the rest of humanity burned, to become important. Alm and Celica were both hidden away, and yet they both became significant. Marth was just a prince of an unimportant country, and yet he became significant in history. Need I go on? Killing Lissa will do what? What would the world lose without Lissa? There are a million Lissas. Without Chrom, or Robin, or Lucina, without their t _Lords_ , the Shepherds would fracture. Ylisse would fracture."

"I'm not sure I follow?"

"It's like… an insect hive. How do you get rid of an ant mound?"

"Get your wyvern to breathe fire on it." "Breakneck" responded casually.

"Drown it?" The man who'd first spoken answered.

"Blow it up?" The man who'd joked responded.

"Simpler than that." Steiger countered. "You kill the queen. Kill a thousand workers, and the queen will just breed more. The Shepherds are no different. The other Shepherds were just minions. Workers for the Lords. Kill Frederick, or Lissa, or Stahl, or Cordelia, or that rabbit, or that pink haired wyvern rider, or that half naked stalker mage, or what the hell ever, and you change nothing. Kill Chrom and Robin, kill the Lords, and everything falls apart. What, you think Lissa could fill their shoes? No. Lords are finite. Kill a Lord…" Steiger brought her head up and looked over her male companions. They all had at least a head on her in height, and yet such was the ferocity of her glare that in that moment they weren't sure they'd be able to stand against her if she challenged them. "And the game ends."

An armored man, completely clean shaven, stepped forward. "Mmm, yes. A fine plan, that. But how do we kill them? No one could beat the Shepherds. They brought down entire nations without a single casualty."

"What made the Shepherds strong in the first place, Tree? All of you? What do you think their greatest strength is?" Steiger asked. Her companions thought about it.

"Their tactician?" "Tree" said.

"Their tactical flexibility." The first man to speak said.

"Their arsehole time traveling children?" The joking man said.

"Their connection to Naga?" Yet another man, not previously introduced, said as he stepped forward.

"They had a lot of hot women, so, you know, you get distracted looking at them?" Breakneck said. Steiger shook her head.

"Those answers range from short sighted to utterly moronic. No. Their strength came from their bonds. The bonds they shared gave them strength, but those bonds can be their undoing. For example, many of the first generation men and women were married. A husband and wife pair may fight more effectively on the battlefield because they're fighting for each other, but kill one and the other becomes stricken with grief. They become angry, and they make mistakes."

"So we kill all the wives?" The joking man asked. Breakneck nodded.

"But that won't work with all the Lords. Robin wasn't married, and Lucina doesn't have a wife… I don't think."

"I'm not just talking about wives you titanic imbeciles!" The woman snapped. Flecks in her iris burned with a sinister purple light as she spoke, and the men all took a step back. For an instant she was a creature of dark magic, but the woman calmed down, and her eye returned to normal. "Think about an ant mound. The ants protect their queen, but if you threaten its location, the hive is forced to relocate. The queen needs to be relocated when the hive is moved, and she's vulnerable then. You can kill her then."

The man who'd joked thought about her words. "So we kill some of the other Shepherds to make Chrom leave the palace?"

"Almost, Castle. We don't have to kill a worker. We can use this opportunity to kill a Lord. Chrom and Robin stay in Ylisstol, but Lucina doesn't. She's a Lord, but she doesn't lead like Robin and Chrom. She views herself as a warrior and nothing more. She only cares about following her father's will."

"So she's the opposite of most young women?" Breakneck jested. Steiger continued.

"She's spent her whole life fighting against Grima. Now she doesn't know what to do. She doesn't stay in Ylisstol. She wanders the land, looking for Ylisseans to help."

"D'aw, what a sweetheart." "Castle" said with a sneer. "We get her while she's alone, and Chrom will be stricken with grief."

Steiger's lips curled into a twisted smile underneath her mask. "Yes! We kill her with the army of Risen that the Benefactor has provided, and Chrom will be enraged. If he doesn't leave Ylisstol trying to hunt us down, then Robin will. When we kill him, Chrom will be broken. He will try to confront us directly. He's a violent man. If something threatens his loved ones like that, he has to face it himself. It's just who he is. He'll come after us. He'll be angry, and he'll make mistakes. Then we will destroy everything he ever cared about. He will be broken."

Breakneck stepped forward, sure he'd found a flaw in Steiger's plan this time. "You're really underestimating them. How will we kill Robin when he won every battle he fought in? How will Risen kill Lucina when she's been fighting them her whole life?"

"Two reasons. First, most of the Shepherds have dispersed. They won't all be there to fight. We'll get the Lords when they're distanced from each other. When they're weaker. Second, we'll deploy the weapon."

"The weapon?"

" _The weapon_."

"The weapon!" Castle cheered.

"The weapon!" The last man to speak responded.

"THE WEAPON!" Tree bellowed.

"Chrom, Lucina, and Robin are not as close as they would appear." Steiger continued. "There are inequalities in their relationship. Chrom and Lucina are father and daughter. That's a connection beyond what any of them have with Robin. In this way, Robin is a third wheel. However, Chrom and Robin both work together to lead Ylisse now. They stay in the palace. Lucina doesn't lead, and she doesn't stay with them anymore. In this way, Lucina is a third wheel." Steiger thought further. "And what if something were to happen between Robin and Lucina? Something to make them… close?"

Breakneck paused. "You mean like… _close_? You're pairing people up now in your head? What is this, a second rate bard's smutty retelling?"

"If something did happen between them, Chrom would be the furthest thing from their minds. In this way, Chrom would be a third wheel. My point is that fractures can be made in their relationship. We can split them up, and then we pick them off one by one. When they fall, when the Lords fall, the Shepherds will be broken, and Ylisse will fracture. Finally we will have our revenge. Finally they will know the chaos that we know."

Castle smiled. "We can break them up, because they are broken amongst themselves!"

Tree smiled. "Not by using force, but by using our brains."

The last man to speak stepped forward. "Except, of course, for the weapon."

The first man to speak stepped forward. "We get behind their vices. Their lust, their love, their violence…"

Breakneck smiled himself. "Behind everyone's favorite blue haired princess! Soon Lucina, and all the Shepherds, will know what we know!"

"Man is a wolf to his fellow man!" All six of them chanted. Steiger's eye burned with intensity again.

"Send word to our Plegian allies. Tell them to activate the weapon."

* * *

Queen Sumia and the future Exalt sat together on a bench just outside of the room where Chrom, Robin, Lucina and others were discussing the events of Southtown. The Queen herself was more than entitled to be part of the council, but she preferred to stay outside with her daughter. The younger Lucina had hurried to greet her elder self as soon as she returned, but her injuries first had to be treated, and she was made to rest afterwards. Now, early the next morning, Lucina the Younger was eager to finally spend time with her sister. She hadn't woken up early enough to catch her before she attended the meeting, but she was happy to wait outside for the elder Lucina to come out. Sumia didn't see any harm in it, so she happily allowed her daughter to sit and pass the time with her.

The younger Lucina had brought several toys to entertain herself, but she became increasingly disinterested in them as the meeting dragged on. "Mommy?"

Sumia smiled as she slowly plucked the petals off a flower. "Hmm?"

"I'm booored."

"They'll be out soon."

"What are they even doing in there?"

"They're having a council to talk about…" Sumia remembered how severe she'd heard Southtown had been. "Some important things."

"But you're the Queen? Why aren't you with them?"

"Oh, it's too violent for me. I'll leave the discussion on that kind of thing to Chrom."

"But big Cynthia says you were a Shepherd too?"

"Yes, but I wanted to live a more peaceful life after the fighting was over. Now I'm happy to be here with my little girl."

Lucina crossed her arms. "I'm not a little girl! I'm four years old!

"But you are still a little girl."

"Why's that?!"

"Because only little girls get visits from the tickle monster!" Sumia scooted over and played with her daughter, smiling at her laughter, before hoisting her onto her legs. "Oh, come here, sweetie. Sit on mommy's lap."

Lucina happily snuggled up with her mother and was content to sit there for almost a minute, but boredom quickly took her again, and she stared at her mother's hands as she continued plucking the petals. "What are you doing to that flower, mommy?"

"I'm doing a flower fortune. Do you want to know what it's for?"

"Oh! Is it for me getting a new toy?"

"Uh, no."

"Are you trying to figure out when Cynthia will stop sucking her thumb?"

"No, Lucina. Nothing like that. I'm trying to see if there's anything to worry about with the meeting." Sumia plucked the last petal and smiled. "There we have it. There's no problem at all. Everything's fine."

"Okay." Lucina was quiet again, but she thought about her mother's words. "So you're not in the meeting because you don't want to fight anymore?"

"Your father and I fought to make a peaceful world. We want the fighting to be over." Sumia set down the remains of the flower and hugged her daughter tightly. "Your father and I didn't get to see you for months after we left to fight against Walhart and the Grimleal."

"You were with Big Sister."

"Yes, but I missed my widdle Wucina." Sumia answered playfully as she cuddled her daughter. Lucina giggled, but still she tried to ask another question as soon as she'd caught her breath. "If daddy wants peace too… why is he in the meeting?"

"Your father has to be there. It's his duty as Exalt."

"Why is Big Sister in the meeting?"

"Because she was there at Southtown."

"But why did you guys send her there?"

"Because we thought we might need her help."

"Why? Did you think there would be bad guys for her to defeat?"

"Well… uh… maybe."

"Did you know there would be a problem there?"

"No… but we suspected something could have happened."

"If you thought there might be a problem, then that means there have to still be bad guys around. Otherwise you wouldn't think there could be a problem. If there are still bad guys around, then how come you think you can live in peace?"

"Uh… you're asking a lot of questions."

"I think it'd be cool if you and daddy went out there and fought bad guys, mommy. Just like in Cynthia's stories!"

Sumia sighed. "There's more to life than strength, Lucina. Besides, my fortune already told us that nothing's wrong. Everything's fine." In truth, Sumia had been lying for Lucina's sake. Her flower fortune had predicted the exact opposite. It was then that the door to the room opened, and Chrom stepped outside and smiled at Sumia. Robin, the elder Lucina, Cynthia, Cordelia, and Frederick were behind him, but they couldn't make it out the door as the future Exalt had jumped up and down in front of Chrom the instant he stepped outside.

"Well, look who's up early." Chrom said as he gently lifted his daughter into the air and walked forward to let the others past.

"I got up so I can see you, daddy!" Chrom let a silly grin take his face at his daughter's affections, but he suddenly felt rather ignored as Lucina wiggled out of his grip and wrapped herself around the leg of her elder self. "But, most of all, so I can see you, Bigger Me!" In her childish glee the younger Lucina held her arms upwards like an infant silently imploring to be lifted, and the elder indulged her. The Future Witness lifted her sister up to be almost at eye level with her, and the Future Tyrant, in all of her current innocence, cuddled up to her as best as she could. "Now we can spend the whole day together, just like you promised!"

The elder Cynthia frowned. "Hey. I...I'm your big sister too."

"But I see you all the time." Cynthia couldn't hide a slightly hurt expression, and the younger Lucina was at least able to recognize that. "But you can come too."

It was a moving sight to everyone present. Even Frederick couldn't hold back a small smile. The elder Lucina had the biggest smile of all, but her heart sank as she thought about the words she'd inevitably have to say. "I'm sorry, Lucina."

Her younger self immediately knew what she meant. "But… you promised. You, you promised!" In her frustration, the younger Lucina tried to strike at her elder self, but it ended up as little more than a tap on the nose. Still, it made Sumia frustrated enough to seize her and set her back on the bench.

"Lucina! What did I say about hitting?!"

The youngest princess there calmed down, and her tantrum became subverted by a very genuine sense of loneliness. "Don't you… want to see me?"

The elder Lucina felt a twinge of sorrow, and she let out a brief whimpering sound very unlike anything her comrades in arms had ever heard from her on the battlefield. She knelt down, slowly took her younger self by the shoulders, and gave her a wet, exaggerated kiss on the forehead. "Of course I do. I'll always be here for you. Always. I love you."

"You do?"

"I care about you more than I care about myself." Lucina responded in a more serious voice than she'd intended. "We'll have our special day. Just us princesses. I promise. I just have to do something for father first."

"Mommy says nothing bad happened. Is that true? Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Everything's fine."

"Then why does daddy need you? You only show up when there's a problem that needs your sword."

Lucina sighed, but she managed a smile. "I'll see you soon. Why don't you go have some breakfast now?"

The younger Lucina groaned as a handmaiden came and picked her up. "Come on, sweetie. Don't you want to see your little sister?"

"NO!" Lucina cried out in childish anguish, much to everyone's amusement. To her dismay, the handmaiden had already begun to carry her away before she could even finish speaking, leaving the adults to the not entirely child friendly matter at hand. Chrom looked to Lucina and Robin.

"You'll tell Lucina everything that's happened in Plegia over the last four years?"

Robin nodded. "Of course. This way, Lucina. We have a lot to talk about."

The two departed, and Chrom gave Sumia a disheartened look. Sumia frowned at her husband. "That bad, huh?"

"I know you didn't want to be part of the war council, but I think you should at least hear the recap."

"Alright. Might as well."

The Exalt and the Queen went back into the room, leaving Cynthia with Cordelia and Frederick. "I think I'll take this time to get some training in for the Knights. They'll be in a lot of trouble if any of them are still asleep at this hour."

Cordelia smiled. "That's a good idea, Frederick. Come on Cynthia. We can take this time to train the Pegasus Knight recruits."

"Wha? This early? But I haven't even eaten anything yet."

"But I thought you wanted to join Cordelia as a Pegasus Knight, milady." Frederick responded. "Surely you realized these tasks were part of that."

"Hey, watch it. I'm not just a Pegasus Knight. I'm a princess, and I'm pretty sure I outrank you, Mr. Knight."

Frederick smiled. "Ah, but the two aren't mutually exclusive. As I recall, you yourself told Chrom about how you were his 'pega-pony princess'."

Cynthia moaned as Cordelia chuckled. "I'm starting to regret telling him that."

* * *

Robin lead Lucina into a large room in an out of the way area of the structure. The room was filled with various books along several shelves. It was very messy, and potions, tomes, and books on strategy and tactics with writing all over them were scattered around. It was clear that the palace servants didn't clean here, most likely because the tactician didn't want them to. Robin immediately made his way to a table, silently imploring for Lucina not to notice anything else in the room as he did. Like the table in the room where Robin and Chrom met, this table held a map on it, but it depicted Plegia instead of Ylisse. The map was further divided into several differently colored sections, and several locations in the Theocracy were pointed out. Robin made his way to the other side and looked up at Lucina, but he winced when he noticed she was looking around. "Sorry about the mess. I guess I should have cleaned up for you."

"For me?"

"Well, uh… not just for you, or anything like that. For anyone, I guess."

"What is this room?" Lucina noticed an unmade bed in the corner. "Do you stay here?"

"Heh, I don't think Chrom would stand for having me stuck in a room like this. I have much better quarters in the palace living area, but I come here to strategize about very important issues of security. When I don't want to be interrupted by anything. I'm not here very often. There hasn't been a problem this serious in months."

"Oh? When was the last time you were here?"

"About a month ago. Your father asked me to deliver a comprehensive report on the Plegian situation. Incidentally, that's what we're here to discuss now. Heh, I was in here for a few days then. I asked the palace staff to not clean this room, but I guess they couldn't help tidying up a bit. There'd probably be some half eaten meals lying around otherwise."

Lucina raised an eyebrow. "I don't recall you being that messy when we were in the Shepherds."

"Well it's easy enough to keep a tent clean. I've had access to so many more books, maps, and resources since I came to stay in the palace. I guess I lose track of it all."

Robin smiled, but Lucina only returned a look of concern. "Robin! That kind of disorganization can be a sign of mental strain. Now tell me, are you forgetting where you placed things? Forgetting what you're currently doing? We need to know if this is getting any worse."

"What? Hey, no! It's nothing like that. I'm fine. I… don't even know why I told you that." A moment of silence passed. It wasn't awkward for Lucina, few things were, but Robin looked uncomfortable. "Well, uh… let's talk about Plegia, shall we? Have you been to the Plegian countryside in these past four years, Lucina?"

"A few times when I wandered over the border. I never went to the big cities though. I didn't want to be reminded of the devastation the war with Gangrel brought."

"Actually Plegia recovered from that war very quickly. It is, or was, a very rich country. Rather, the country is currently suffering under another war. A civil war that is far bloodier, and has lasted much longer."

"A civil war?! What's happened?"

"I guess you really did lose yourself out there." Robin spread his arms out on the table and looked down at the country he was born in. "Plegia is not a hereditary monarchy. The new monarch is whoever can seize the throne. After all, Validar was king despite having no relation to Gangrel, and Gangrel was born in the slums. He had to have seized the throne at some point. When Validar died, when Plegia lost two kings in fairly rapid succession, the country fell apart. The death of Grima only made it worse."

"How could destroying the Fell Dragon make it worse?!"

"Plegia worships Grima. Now I don't think the average Plegian knows Grima is an evil god of death. They worship Grima because it's cultural. Because they grew up with people telling them to worship Grima. If they had been born in Ylisse, they'd just as easily worship Naga. That's honestly how religion is most of the time. It's geographic. Anyways, the country suffered a culture shock when Grima was defeated. Imagine what Ylisse would be like if Naga were somehow destroyed, or if Tiki died."

"They hate us for it?"

"I honestly don't think so. I certainly hope not. Again, the average Plegian doesn't know much about Grima. They certainly would have changed their mind if the Fell Dragon had created its army of Risen like it did in your time. All your average Plegian knows is that Grima was inexplicably revived, only to die again. The pious would take that pretty hard. In this chaotic situation, with a seemingly invalidated religion and no king, the country fractured. Dozens of warlords have risen across the country, and they'll all fighting for the throne in a brutal civil war that has lasted four years."

"Gods. That's horrible. What is Chrom doing about it?"

Robin shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, Lucina… hear me out. When the war first broke out, I recommended to Chrom that we do nothing. Four years later, I still think that's the best course of action."

"What?! You would let the country fall apart?"

"Let me explain, Lucina. Your grandfather's crusade against Plegia only ended twenty one years ago. That may seem like a long time, but there are a lot of people in Plegia who remember it. There are a lot of people in Plegia who fear an Ylissean invasion."

"Father would never!"

"They don't know that, Lucina. Even Emmeryn didn't actually travel to Plegia. If we send Ylissean soldiers into Plegia to get involved in the war, then they would see it as an invasion. They would see it as imperialism. Even if we support one of the warlords, we might unite all the other ones against us. If the one we support loses, then we'll be looking at a hostile Plegia that believes we attacked it. In order to ensure long term peace with Plegia, we need to let the war end on its own. Then we'll try to establish diplomatic negotiations with the new monarch. We've already tried to speak with some of the stronger warlords, actually. None of them have agreed to meet in Ylisse, and we definitely don't want to set anything up in Plegia, but a few of them have returned our letters. They seem nice… for warlords."

"Gods. That makes a lot of sense, Robin… but it seems horrible to let the people of Plegia suffer."

"I know, but this is the best course of action. If we try to intervene, they would all unite against us. The civil war would end, but Plegia would be hostile. There would be another war." Robin sighed. "In a very twisted way, the civil war is good for Ylisse."

"How so?"

"Make no mistake, the best thing for Ylisse would be if Plegia was controlled by a strong, unified government that was willing to work for peace. Failing that, a Plegia fractured into civil war is better than a unified Plegia that hates us. If the warlords are fighting each other… they won't strike at Ylisse. A war with Plegia is something we can't afford, Lucina. The world is in a very delicate place. If Ylisse and Plegia went to war now, it could be the beginning of centuries of conflict. Right now, there are probably only about a thousand people in Ylisse that could really help fight in an invasion. We could mobilize more soldiers, but that would take time. Meanwhile, the strongest Plegian warlords command as many as fifty thousand soldiers."

"What about the Shepherds?"

"They might come back if Ylisse was attacked, but most of them went home. They wanted to enjoy the peace we created. Besides, I don't think the war would be the same. Even the Shepherds might not be able to defeat Plegia now."

"Why not? We, err, the rest of you, defeated Gangrel. We defeated Walhart. We stopped the Fell Dragon itself."

"Think about it, Lucina. We won all those conflicts by defeating the leaders of our foes. Gangrel's army outnumbered us. Even if we won every battle against him, his forces would still be able to swarm into Ylisse and pillage the cities through sheer numbers. He would have won eventually. The only reason we were victorious is because of… your aunt."

"Emmeryn." Lucina said sadly.

"Her sacrifice proved to the Plegian people that the war was unjust, and most of the army abandoned Gangrel. That was the only reason why we were able to fight our way to him, and the war ended when we struck him down. We were heavily outnumbered when we fought against Walhart. We were only able to survive because we outmaneuvered his armies until many of his troops sided with the rebels. Then the war ended because we defeated Walhart himself. Lastly, we stopped Grima because I was able to kill it. We definitely couldn't have defeated each and every one of the Fell Dragon's Risen."

"What are you saying?"

"A war with Plegia now would be different, Lucina. The Plegian people would fight to their last to stop 'another Ylissean invasion', and we couldn't end the war by killing the enemy leader. If we defeated one warlord, another would rise to take their place. The war would be endless. We have to stay out of it. Chrom wants to follow in Emmeryn's path… not his father's."

"I see." Lucina thought about everything she'd heard. "It's a difficult situation, Robin, but you know what?"

"Hmm?"

"Even as we discuss such dark subject matters, I can't help but feel calmed by your words."

"I'm happy to help however I can."

Lucina glanced down to the map. "What of your homeland? Do you ever worry about Plegia?"

"I suppose I was technically born in Plegia, but I don't feel any real connection to it. Plegia is a threat to Ylisse in my mind before it's anything else. I don't mean anything against the people living there, but it's how things are. To my understanding, I was born in a cult. I wasn't really part of Plegian society, and I'm not really a citizen. I certainly don't pay taxes to any Plegian government… not that there is a government right now. I… suppose I am arguably stateless, but Ylisse is where my heart is now."

"And that warms my own heart to hear. Mother and father are lucky to still have you by their side."

"Heh, come on, Lucina. You're embarrassing me. I can't take all the credit. We work together to ensure that the people of Ylisse can live in peace."

"Yes… Robin?"

"Hmm?"

There was a pause as Lucina thought about her words. Thought about how best to express her feelings. "You're always talking about work."

"There is quite a bit of work to do."

"Do you ever spend time with mother and father without working?"

Robin shrugged. "I suppose not. I see them a lot now, but there's always something that needs to be done. Your mother and father are also made to spend a lot of time with the nobles as part of their royal duties. I don't have to spend time with them, so I try not to. I don't really like the nobles. Always going on about arranged marriages and old blood feuds. Talking about the commoners in their territories like they're resources instead of people. Always making passive-aggressive comments whenever they can. You know… they say things about Sumia when they think she can't hear. They talk about how she was just a soldier. They say things about me when they think I can't hear. They talk about, how did they put it… oh yeah, that I was a 'homeless man Chrom found lying around'."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, like I said. I don't really have to interact with them much."

"But you don't deserve that!"

"It's fine, Lucina."

Lucina thought for a few seconds, wondering if she really wanted to ask her question. "Do they… talk about me?"

"Do you want me to be completely honest?"

"Yes. I can take it."

"It's not as bad as you think. They honestly don't know what to make of you. Four years ago they wondered if there'd be a dispute over whether you or your younger self would inherit the throne. You are technically Chrom's oldest daughter. When you agreed to give that birthright to your younger self, they stopped really thinking about you. If you spoke with one, they'd smile and bow and treat you with respect befitting a princess, but they truly don't care about anyone not involved with palace affairs." Robin rubbed the back of his neck as he thought of a way to make the conversation more light hearted. "But hey, speaking of the future Exalt, I always have your younger self to keep me company."

Lucina gave a sweet smile. Robin and her family had noticed one of the few things that could consistently evaporate Lucina's normal seriousness was a conversation about her younger sisters. "You play with Lucina?"

"Uh… I don't know about play. I tried watching her once. She… threw things at me. I'm sure she thought it was great fun."

"Oh."

"She likes to hear stories about the Shepherds, but I try not to tell her much. I'm afraid I'll accidentally tell her something that Sumia thinks is too violent for her to hear. For example, when Sumia talks about the past, she always says that Gangrel and Walhart were beaten or defeated. She never says that we, you know, killed them."

"I can understand that."

Robin shrugged as he began to fiddle with one of the markers on the map. "Thinking about it… I guess I do spend most of my time working."

"Do you ever get… um…"

"Hmm?"

"Lonely?"

Robin and Lucina just looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds before he brought himself to speak up. "Sometimes. The nobles may not think much of you, Lucina, but that doesn't mean the palace doesn't miss you. Your sisters miss you. So does Chrom, and Sumia… and… I miss you too."

"I feel the same way, Robin. I fear something terrible may befall Ylisse, but… I remember what you said before I left. Maybe we could spend time together. Everyone."

"I'd like that. And… maybe just the two of us could do something… sometime."

"Like what?"

"I… don't know." Lucina patiently waited for Robin to speak again, not understanding why he suddenly became very awkward with his body. He rubbed his neck again, as if that'd become a nervous habit, and he didn't seem to know where to put his other hand. "Heh, how did we even get to talking about this? Let's talk about something else like… Plegia."

"What's left to discuss?"

Robin became more serious. "Quite a bit. There's a reason why I think we should still stay out of the war. It's close to ending. It'll probably only last another two years at the most."

"Is one of the warlords more powerful than the others now?"

"Yes. His name is Macrinus, and he controls about sixty percent of the country, including Plegia Castle." Lucina looked back to the map. Sure enough, most of the Theocracy was lopped into one section. "If nothing changes, then it looks like Macrinus will be the new King of Plegia."

"Do you think he'll be a good king?"

"I'm not sure. I've never met the man, but he has responded to our letters. He seems nice."

"For a warlord?"

"Yeah. Each and every warlord is willing to kill in order to take control of Plegia. I'd imagine there's a certain threshold for how nice any of them could possibly be. I mean, none of them are going to be like Lissa, but Macrinus at least seems better than Gangrel or Walhart."

"What warlord could ask for a better compliment?"

"A dry comment, Lucina?"

"Me? Why I'd never."

Robin had a small smile as he looked back to the map, but it faded by the second until he just looked tired. Looking more closely, Robin had aged severely in just four years. He hadn't once been forced to draw his Levin Sword to defend himself since the Fell Dragon's defeat, and yet his body seemed more stressed than ever. "These Risen you and the Pegasus Knights saw—the ones anointed by that strange entity—they're really unlike anything you've ever seen?"

"Yes. Like I said in the council, I've never seen that before. Even the Fell Dragon's voice wasn't so… unnatural. I wonder if it could be some new kind of dark magic. Cordelia and Frederick suggested Plegia might be involved. What do you think?"

"Of course they did. That's why Chrom wants me to cover this. It seems logical. No one has more dark mages than Plegia." Given everything Robin had said earlier, Lucina didn't believe he would be offended for his homeland, but he did rub his forehead in frustration and push his hair up. "It just doesn't make sense to me, Lucina. Why would any Plegian warlord want to do this? They wouldn't have anything to gain from attacking Ylisse."

"They could unite the people of Plegia under a single cause."

"Well, let's think about this. Large populations aren't motivated by emotions like vengeance or spite. They do what they think is in their best interest. Going back to the war between Gangrel and Emmeryn, the people of Plegia supported him because they feared Ylisse after your grandfather's crusade. I'm sure he promised to make Plegia strong enough to resist further aggression. They supported him because they thought it was in their best interest. When Emmeryn made her sacrifice, they realized how unjust the war was. Supporting Gangrel was no longer in their best interest. The people of Plegia would defend themselves against Ylisse, but I don't think they'd support an aggressor. What would they gain?"

"What if… a minor warlord was somehow able to do this. They could frame Macrinus and use us to weaken a rival."

Robin thought. "That's a devious idea, Lucina. I'm surprised it came out of your head." Lucina shrugged. "Still, there's no real proof that a Plegian warlord has anything to do with this. It seems too… convenient. Easy to believe."

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. We should try to find out instead of jumping to conclusions."

"You mean even _you_ don't know?" Lucina said with a smile.

"Is that a jest? Heh, you've changed a little, Lucina." Robin became serious again as he walked over to a shelf and pulled out a book. He brushed it off and flipped through it, and Lucina could see that his writing was already in the pages. "I think we've all changed a little in these four years. As time goes by, I find that you can never really _know_ anything. Only suspect."

"So what do you suspect?"

"I…" Robin sighed, and Lucina could see that his smile wouldn't be coming back. "I don't know. I need to talk to the survivors from Southtown. Maybe see if I can talk to Henry before Lissa drags him away somewhere. Whenever I complete a task, it seems like ten more pop up… but enough of that. I've filled you in, and I should probably let you go. Why don't you spend the day resting? You've certainly earned it."

"Alright. Don't work too hard, Robin."

Robin had already begun to compare the map to something in the book. "Yeah, well, Risen don't sleep. Why should I get any."

Lucina turned to leave, but she stopped at the door. "Robin… what you said about us spending time together?"

"D-Did I say that?"

"I was just thinking… I'd like that. If father doesn't need me for anything, we could do something later today."

"Oh… uh… I have a lot of work to do, Lucina. Maybe… sometime."

"Sounds good to me. Goodbye, Robin."

"Goodbye." Robin returned to his work as Lucina left, but all he could do was hang his head afterwards. "Now why did I push that away? I swear it used to be easier to talk to Lucina. I'm losing my conversational edge cooped up in this palace all day."

* * *

Chrom had not asked to see Lucina again after the emergency war council, but she felt the need to ask if he had anything for her to do. The fate of Ylisse could potentially depend on it, after all. Returning to the room, Lucina found her father at a table by a window. This window was open to the air, though no person could squeeze through the metal grating, and had a view of a small courtyard outside. Chrom was busy writing some kind of letter, and he didn't initially notice that Lucina had walked in. He paused for a second, as if his battle honed instincts were telling him that somebody was nearby, but his wits, which were likely concerned with the Plegian Civil War, or Valm, or some other far away matter of state, were not yet about him. A smile formed on his worried face as he finally looked up, but Lucina could tell his mind was still focused on work. "Lucina? Did you need something?"

"Yes, father. If I could, I'd like to know what I can do to help out?

"I didn't tell you anything needed to be done."

"Surely there's something I can do to help. Maybe I could help Frederick train his knights like you had me do before? Maybe I can talk to the citizen militias that would defend Ylisstol if the Risen came here? I could help you and Robin plan our next move?"

"That's fine, Lucina. There's really no need for that."

"What about something smaller? I could polish the knights' armor. Help with laundry."

"Heh, Lucina, that would hardly be befitting of a princess."

"Maybe the two of us could spar? Like we used to?"

"I don't really have time for that. Besides, Frederick keeps my skills sharp. He insists on it, actually."

"Oh… I see. I'm bothering you, father."

Chrom sighed before standing up. "Lucina… come here. Stand by my side."

"Father?" Lucina stepped forward, and Chrom embraced her. Lucina generally tried not to show her emotions, but it was hard to hide how much it moved her, especially as Chrom withdrew just enough to gently kiss her on the forehead. "F-father?"

"I've missed you all these months, Lucina. And don't tell me that isn't a long time. It is to your mother and I, and to your sisters."

"I'm sorry."

"How you enjoy the peace you fought so hard for is your decision. You have nothing to apologize for. But… Lucina… would it kill you to be a little selfish?"

"I'm not sure I follow."

"I'm sorry about what happened at Southtown, Lucina. I'm sorry we asked you to go there."

"But I'm happy to assist you!"

"But you were hurt."

"It was nothing!" Thinking about it made Lucina's shoulder act up, and she reflexively rubbed her only recently healed nose. "I've taken far worse."

"You shouldn't have to suffer any kind of injury at all. We're supposed to be at peace."

"But there is clearly a threat to that peace, father!"

"I know, but, Lucina… it doesn't have to fall on your shoulders to fight for us."

"You don't… want me here?"

"I don't want you to help everyone else without caring about yourself. I don't want you to shrug off the peace you fought for at the first chance to return to the battlefield."

"You wanted me to help."

"I know, but… we will all face this together, Lucina. You don't have to work yourself ragged. Why don't you want to rest, Lucina? Why don't you have fun today? Don't think about chores or anything like that. I know there's a threat out there, but even when we were fighting the Fell Dragon, we still made time to relax every once in awhile. Heh, Lucina, I dare say the only reason you and your companions exist is because the Shepherds made time for each other. A man and a woman do not fall in love because all they do is work." Chrom sat back down, and he kind of stared off into space and thought aloud. "Lucina, why don't you want to rest? Why don't… you want a home? A permanent home… with a husband… and children… and a hobby… and a life where you don't need to draw your sword…"

Lucina wasn't sure how to feel about any of that. "Am I… a disappointment to you?"

"I have respected you since the moment you saved Lissa's life. When I learned who you were, I loved you right then and there. I will always love you, my daughter, and you will always have my support. Your life is yours to live. I… just want you to be happy. That's all any father wants."

"I am happy serving Ylisse! I am happy serving you!"

"Now do you see what I meant, Lucina? What about what you want? For yourself? You can't just spend your life in service to the happiness of others. Lucina, the things you've seen, they would break most people. You've spent your life fighting for humanity and for a better future, and I've never met a stronger and braver woman, but now that future is here. Don't spend the rest of your life worrying about whether or not you'll need to protect it. Ylisse needs soldiers to protect it, but soldiers are still people. They don't devote their entire lives to fighting. They fight for a life back home. Don't spend your life trying to deter peace. There's more to life than fighting for me. You've helped give something to the future. You've helped to fight for a better world. Enjoy it."

"I'll do my best, father. So you don't need anything from me right now?"

Chrom gave a small smile. "Actually, I do need you to do something."

"Anything."

"Take the rest of the day off, Lucina. Relax. Spend time with your sisters. Do something that _you_ want to do."

"Alright. Well… if you wouldn't mind… I'd like to spend some time with you."

"Heh, I remember when you wouldn't even ask me that, Lucina. I remember when you'd use training or a chore to be around me, but I could tell you really just wanted us to spend time together. I'm glad we're closer now." Chrom looked back to the letter. "I'm very busy right now, but I suppose we can still talk."

"What are you writing?"

"It's about the Southtown Incident I'm afraid. I'm writing a letter to Virion to inform Roseanne of the threat. I also have to write letters to Say'ri in Chon'sin and Flavia in Ferox. This might not just be happening in Ylisse."

"Do you need me to ensure it's delivered, father?"

"Lucina, what did I just tell you about taking the rest of the day off?"

"Oh, right."

"I'll use a carrier pigeon. Virion actually provided them. He used them to send messages back to Valm when he was in Ylisse. They're well trained and can easily fly from Ylisse to Valm." Sure enough, Chrom had a small portable coop for three pigeons nearby against the wall. All three birds were still asleep. Chrom finished writing the letter, carefully folded it up until the already small piece of paper was tiny, then approached the cage. The pigeons were rather disgruntled as Chrom shook them awake, but Lucina could see they really were well trained as none of the birds tried to escape when Chrom opened the door. He gently took one and fastened the letter around the bird's leg, but it didn't leave him yet, and he seemed content to gently caress it for a few seconds. "You know, Lucina, you're not wrong to be worried. I just want you to not focus entirely on work, but there is a danger out there. It seems the peace we've achieved is constantly being threatened. As the years go by, I find myself wondering what peace truly is."

"Father?"

"They say that when a woman becomes a mother, she gains a new respect for her own mother. I think I feel that way about Emmeryn now. As I fill her shoes all these years later, I finally see her true strength. It's difficult to lead a country. Things were so much simpler on the battlefield. When I was fighting, I told myself it was for peace. Even as we cut down hundreds of people, I told myself it was for peace. Now… I'm not sure what peace is. What is the real difference between peace and quiet? Look at Ylisse now. Things seem peaceful, but then this threat just appears out of nowhere. You know, wars are never fought for one reason. They are fought for thousands of reasons, and many go back to long before the war broke out. You can't make peace through war. You just can't. We had to fight to stop Grima, but I see now that you have to lay down your sword to create peace. The cycle breeds itself. War causes hatred, suffering, and lingering conflict. These in turn trigger new wars, and these will trigger new wars. It spirals into an endless legacy of war. For all the men and women that die, nothing will change. All wars in history can be traced back to another conflict. Another historical event. You cannot stop it by fighting. You have to work for peace. For everything I've done to protect the peace we created, I fear we're still in the shadow of previous wars. If a human is responsible for this attack, then somehow I fear that they're motivated by something we did years ago. Maybe even by something my father did. You know, Emmeryn spent her whole life trying to be free of his legacy. I'm still trying to be free of his legacy."

Lucina looked at Chrom in awe. "I didn't know you had that much to say about these things, father."

"I spend a lot of time thinking now. Like I said, it was all simpler on the battlefield. Now I don't know always know how best to approach things. It's a good thing I have Robin, but I can see that even he gets tired." Chrom looked back to the pigeon. "When I became Exalt, I sought to know justice, and order, and righteousness, and to know madness, and folly, and grief, but I fear this might have been a chasing at the wind. As the years go by, I find myself questioning what the people need from me as leader. In much knowledge, Lucina, comes much sorrow." Chrom forcibly waved his arm, and the pigeon ascended into the sky through the grating in the window. Chrom sat back down, and Lucina thought about what he said.

"Sometimes, father, it is not good trying to think, or act on anything because it is right or wrong. Sometimes we don't know what is right or wrong." Lucina winced as her mind drifted back to some of her past actions. As much as she'd tried to repress the thought over the years, she couldn't help but think of one particular moment with Robin. When the two had been alone. When she'd told him of how she had to stop her future from coming to pass. When something horrible had been averted only because Chrom stopped her. "Sometimes you can believe so badly that something is the right thing to do, only to be wrong."

"Lucina?"

"But we can do what be believe in our hearts to be right, and failing that, we can always rely on the council of others, and hope for the best. You'll be a great leader, father. I know you will."

Chrom smiled, but he soon began to write the next letter. "Thank you."

"I shouldn't keep you any longer, father. I'll let you get to work." Lucina got up to leave, but Chrom stood up again as she did.

"Wait. How about we have a family dinner tonight?"

"What?"

"Yeah. We'll have a big feast, and it'll be just us, your mother, and your sisters. I'm sure it'll be fun, and we'll have a lot of catching up to do."

"I'd like that, father. I'd… really like that."

Chrom returned a warm smile. "I'll be looking forward to it, and remember what I said about the rest of the day."

* * *

Lucina decided she'd take her father's advice. She'd spend the rest of the day with her younger sisters, but first there was one last thing she needed to check on. Cynthia and Cordelia had been with her at Southtown, and she wanted to see how they were doing.

Lucina walked through the palace courtyard to reach the Pegasus Knight barracks. The recruits there informed her that Cynthia and Cordelia had actually left to speak with surviving civilians from Southtown, but Lucina noticed Ferris sitting alone as she retraced her own steps. The relatively experienced recruit sat on a bench in a room for armor storage. The room would normally be shared by all the Pegasus Knights in the barracks when they needed to equip themselves and change into their armor, but Ferris sat alone now. Her sisters were finding ways to pass the time, taking advantage of Cordelia not being around to make them train or work.

Ferris had relieved herself of her metal plating, but she was otherwise still in uniform. She now had a black eyepatch over the left side of her face, and she rubbed it solemnly with her hand. She didn't initially notice Lucina looking at her, but she jumped to attention as soon as she did. "Oh, princess! I didn't see you there! W-What do you need?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you." Lucina felt a twinge of guilt, as Ferris had been hurt trying to get to her. "Your eye…"

Ferris gave a cocky smile. "This? Yeah, well, the healers couldn't save my eye, but it's nothing. I can still do my duty, milady. I can serve your father and the Captain just as effectively as before."

"I just feel bad about it. You were trying to save me, and you suffered for it."

"It's nothing! In fact, I'm proud of it!"

"Hmm?"

"I'm the first Pegasus Knight in the rebuilt order to get hurt in the line of duty! The very first one. Hell, I reckon they'll remember me. To take that injury while trying to protect the princess herself is just icing on the cake." Ferris' smile faded as Lucina gave her a serious look. "Not that I was trying to get hurt, or anything. I'm an effective fighter, milady. I've earned my place here."

"But you didn't have to put your life in danger for me."

"You don't want us to fight to protect you?"

"In all honesty, no. I can take care of myself."

"Well, someone's a little sure of herself." Ferris responded in an annoyed tone.

"I don't mean to criticize you. It's just that I can't bear the thought of people getting hurt or killed for my sake. My mother and father need protecting. What if something were to happen to them because the Pegasus Knights were too busy worrying about me? What if something happened to Cordelia? You were very noble in battle, Ferris, but please. Think of me as an equal. We're both out there to fight for the people of Ylisse and the Exalt. Please don't fight for me, but I'd be honored if you fought with me."

"Oh." Ferris seemed to find her own feet very interesting. "Uh, forgive me for saying that, princess. That wasn't an appropriate tone to take with you. Thank you for your praise."

Lucina smiled. "Like I said, treat me as an equal. Don't think of me as a princess. You can speak freely around me."

"You… want me to call you by your name?"

"If you wish."

Ferris looked genuinely surprised that Lucina was taking the time to speak with her, and Lucina could tell that she was just now realizing the conversation wasn't part of any inspection or exercise. "Alright… Lucina." Ferris extended her arm, and the two shook hands. "I don't think we've properly met. My name is Ferris, and I'm next in command after your sister. I help lead the troops."

"Where are you from, Ferris?"

"Islands to the east. They used to be part of the Kingdom of Talys. Where your ancestor was from."

"Caeda. You know a lot about Ylissean history."

Ferris sighed. "Ma wanted me to be an academic. I was born a farmer's daughter, and I was the only child. We never had much growing up, but my parents spent every gold coin they had on tutors for me. I guess I was better educated than most people in my town, but a smart farmer is a farmer still. Going to a university was a pipe dream, and I didn't see anything for me in my hometown. Besides, I didn't want to be an academic. I wanted to do something exciting, and I wanted to really serve my country."

"What did you do?"

"Well I obviously didn't end up in a library or anything like that. When was the last time you saw a scholar that could wear a short skirt like this?" Ferris said with a smirk as she emphasized her hips. "A part of me wanted to be a soldier, but Exalt Emmeryn had disbanded the military save for a few knights. Then the war with Gangrel happened. Funny how things work out, huh?"

"You fought in that war?"

"I came to the mainland to be part of a citizen's militia. I wanted to protect my country. I was terrified when I first saw battle. The Plegian army was huge. Cordelia told us how they swarmed into our borders, killing the Pegasus Knights that tried to stop them. When the milita I was part of first saw combat against them, they'd already sacked the village most of the militia was from. I was horrified. There were big, muscular men that weighed more than two women like us. There were wyvern riders. There were dark mages flinging spells and curses everywhere. I remember I froze up at first, but my comrades charged into battle. I'm sure they were scared too, but the sight of their homes burning filled them with rage. It made them overcome their fear, and they forced themselves to fight. I saw the other members of the militia going into battle, so I did too. I overcame my fear. Heh, I still remember how I felt when I found that my sickle, the only thing I had to use as a weapon, could cut through the human form just as it could cut through wheat." Ferris had a rather twisted smile on her face as she spoke, but she then looked up to Lucina and awkwardly cleared her throat. "But I'm sure you don't want to hear about any of that."

"It's fine, Ferris. So what happened next?"

Ferris shrugged, not wanting to slip back into the sadistic thrill she got from telling the story in front of the princess. "Well the war eventually ended, and I didn't want to go back home. I only felt alive when I was fighting. I would never have made a good academic or farmer's wife. I became a mercenary, but I worked for free whenever Risen were the enemy. I also refused to work against Ylisse."

"I suppose it's a good thing you never had to cross blades with the Shepherds then."

"I never would have done that. I had nothing but respect for Chrom. That's why I tried to fight against Risen whenever I could. I wanted to feel like I was helping the Shepherds. You know, I really admired you, Lucina. I, heh, I never thought I'd get to tell you that myself. Anyways, after Dragonfall I took advantage of the opportunity to become a Pegasus Knight. Now I'm here, talking to the Hero of Time. Not bad for a country hick."

"Ylisse is lucky to have dedicated women like you."

Ferris smiled and looked down again. She didn't just seem happy for the compliment. More than that, she actually blushed and lost the weight she normally put into her voice. "That's high praise coming from you, Twice Born… wait, no! Did I just call you that to you face?! I-I'm sorry, I just… I'm used to hearing about you from the stories they tell."

"There's no need to worry. It doesn't bother me. It was nice meeting you, Ferris, and I'm sorry about your eye."

"Come on. You don't hear me complaining about it, do you? For what it's worth, it means a lot to me that you bothered to talk with me at all. I never thought I'd… actually meet you. Thanks for listening to me, princess, I mean… I mean… Lucina."

"It was the least I could do."

* * *

Lucina walked back through the courtyard to a small building by the gate leading into the palace. Several of Frederick's knights were patrolling here, and they all bowed as Lucina walked past. Cordelia and Cynthia were holding a conversation in front of the building's door, and the Pegasus Knight Captain nodded to the elder princess as she approached. "Did you need something, Lucina?"

"Hello, Cordelia. Cynthia. I just wanted to see if you had anything more to say about what happened at Southtown. I'd be happy to help if you need me to do something." Lucina remembered Chrom's words as she spoke. "Uh… as long as it's quick."

Cynthia shook her head. "Nope. I think we said everything in the council. Some creep sent Risen to attack a town full of innocent people. I'm still thinking about those creepy floating Risen. Grima never made them talk like that, and they went on and on about you, Lucina." Cynthia smiled to lighten the mood. "I think he… it… has a crush on you."

That thought didn't sit well with Lucina at all. "Must you repeat that joke?"

"Don't take it so hard. All good leaders have their dedicated followers. Robin has Noire's mom. Chrom has…" Cordelia would have been the butt of that comment, and Cynthia caught herself. "Us Pegasus Knights."

"They did focus on you, Lucina. They kept referring to you as a Lord. Maybe they were targeting you because of your status. Anyways, we're actually helping those innocent victims right now, Lucina." Cordelia said as she glanced to the door. "Remember that blonde woman who took shelter in the house? We were talking to her earlier, but Ferris was right. She's very uncooperative."

"Is she angry with us?"

"She is, and I can't blame her. She and the others had to hide for an entire month. We failed them. We should have responded sooner."

"Why didn't they leave?"

"They were too scared. They knew that whatever caused the attack never left the city. The cloud would reappear without warning, and the Risen would follow soon after. Other groups of survivors were apparently killed if they tried to leave. What a mess. We should have done more for them. We should have been there as soon as it happened. At least we defeated the threat with your help, Lucina."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier."

"You have nothing to apologize for. Maybe we should have asked for your help earlier." Cordelia stared rather aimlessly at Lucina. She almost looking like she was swooning. "I'm glad we could be friends, Lucina."

"I feel the same way, Cordelia. Um… is there something you wanted to ask?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was thinking about what Chrom said during the council, and then I started just thinking about him in general. You remind me so much of your father."

"You mean I look like him?"

"It's more than just that. Your movements are very similar."

"How so?"

Cordelia answered quickly, like she'd been thinking about this for some time. "You have very similar fighting styles, and you sheathe your swords the same way. You both have the same little quirks when eating. You hold your bodies in the same way. I noticed you sat on Cynthia's Pegasus like Chrom sat on Sumia's Pegasus. You both have hair that splits into cowlicks. You both hold things the same way."

Lucina briefly paused as she thought about how much Cordelia was really paying attention to her. She could have taken it in many different ways, but Lucina was excited to think that Cordelia would compare her to Chrom. "I never noticed these things. Thank you for telling me."

"Of course. I see so much of Chrom in you."

Cynthia looked between the two. "Wow, Cordelia. I didn't know you looked at Lucina that closely. Do you know that much about Severa's father?"

"Uh… yeah. Yeah, definitely."

Cynthia looked back to the building. "Anyways, Lucina, if you wanted to help, you could try talking to the woman in there." Cynthia moaned to herself and said her next words more quietly. "Maybe then Cordelia will let me get some breakfast."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing."

Lucina shrugged. "Alright. I'll see what I can do."

Lucina entered the building to find the woman from the Southtown Incident sitting upright on a bed. Food had been provided for her, but she barely touched it. She just stared at it. She didn't turn to Lucina when she walked in, but she spoke to her as she approached. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

Lucina gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry about what happened to your town. To your family."

"Why would you be?" She responded bitterly.

"I know what it's like to lose everything."

"No. I don't think you know what it's like. You're a princess. If you died, the whole country would be in mourning. You don't care what happens to us."

"We do care-"

"Then why did it take an entire month for you to respond?!" She snapped. "For a month we hid in that house, wallowing in our own refuse, only leaving to scavenge food from the abandoned buildings. All the soldiers you sent were slain within minutes, but you and the Pegasus Knights won easily. Why couldn't you have come earlier? You lords don't care about us. You're supposed to protect us, but you can't prevent attacks on your own people."

Getting angry with the woman was the last thing Lucina wanted to do. She sat beside the survivor and spoke softly. "You mentioned you had a son?"

"I don't blame you for my son's death. He died the day the cloud appeared. I don't think anything could have saved him, but why did it take AN ENTIRE MONTH FOR YOU TO RESPOND?!"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. We'll find the people responsible for this, and we'll bring them to justice."

The woman just shook her head. "I wouldn't bet on it. They're probably plotting against you even as we speak, and they'll be under your noses before you have a chance to respond. You'll be slow again, and do you know why? It's because you don't care about the people. You don't really care about us."

Lucina didn't know what else she could say, so she walked out and left the woman to her misery. In time she might be willing to talk more about what happened at Southtown, but for now she just needed to be alone.


End file.
